6

your hands. Add yeast, sugar,

rosewater and orange blossom

water and mix to combine. Begin

adding water, a tablespoon at

a time and knead gently (do

not overmix, or your ma’amoul

will be tough) until a clump of

dough holds together without

crumbling. Cover and leave

to rest (15-30 minutes).

3 Meanwhile, for date filling,

knead ingredients in a bowl

until combined, then shape

into grape-sized balls (this

makes three times what you’ll

need, so keep remaining

for another batch, or reduce

quantities as desired). Or,

for nut filling, combine all

ingredients in a bowl.

4 For date cakes, take a

walnut-sized piece of dough,

flatten slightly, and place a date

ball in the centre. Enclose filling

completely and roll into a ball.

Slightly flatten with your palm,

then, with the round tip of a

wooden spoon, make a hole

in the middle of the cake and

decorate with a metal pincher

or decorative mould (or pinch

with your fingernails).

5 For nut cakes, take a piece

of dough and use your thumb

to create an indentation in the

centre. Fill with about 1 tsp nut

mixture and enclose, carefully

forming a dome or oblong

shape, then decorate.

6 Preheat oven to 200°C and

line two baking trays with baking

paper. Place cakes on trays and

bake until bases are a very light

golden brown (5-10 minutes).

Remove and cool completely.

7 Dust with icing sugar before

serving. Cakes will keep in an

airtight container for 7-10 days

at room temperature or in the

freezer for 3 months.

Note Mastic is available from

herbies.com.au. Mahlab,

a spice made from ground

cherry pits, and date paste

are available from select

Middle Eastern grocers. ●

the surface, then simmer until

lamb is tender (1 hour to 1 hour

20 minutes). Remove from heat,

strain broth and set meat aside.

2 Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat

butter and the extra oil in a

cast-iron pot over medium-high

heat. Once butter has melted,

reduce heat to low, add

sliced onion and cook, stirring

occasionally, until softened

and golden (10-15 minutes).

Add garlic, sauté until softened

(2-3 minutes), then add spices

and 1 tsp salt and stir until

fragrant (1 minute). Add rice

and toss to coat, then add

chickpeas and toss to combine.

3 Pour 1 litre reserved broth

over the rice mixture and

increase heat to high. When

broth starts to boil, remove from

heat, arrange meat on top of the

rice, cover pan and place in the

oven until rice is fully cooked

and the meat has browned

nicely (1 hour).

4 Remove from oven and stand

uncovered for 5 minutes then

sprinkle with toasted nuts and

serve with yoghurt.

Note Mastic, the dried sap from

the mastic tree, is available from

herbies.com.au.

Holiday date and nut cakes

MAKES ABOUT 30 // PREP TIME 2 HRS // COOK 5-10 MINS (PLUS RESTING

“With a Muslim mother and a Christian father I had twice as many

holidays as most people,” says Kassis. “This meant double the

amount of ma’amoul, which are synonymous with holidays for both

Christians and Muslims in Palestine.” Begin this recipe a day ahead.

Lamb, garlic and chickpea pilaf

SERVES 6-8 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 2 HRS 30 MINS (PLUS SOAKING

“This hallmark dish of Hebron is prepped at home, then sent to the
neighbourhood oven where it’s cooked in a special copper pot,”
says Kassis. “It’s quite easy to cook at home with an almost identical
taste. Serve it with yoghurt to contrast the richness.” Pictured p118.

1 kg fine semolina

500 gm butter, at room

temperature

60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil

250 gm plain flour

½ tsp mastic ground with ½ tsp

sugar (optional; see note)

½ tsp ground mahlab

(optional; see note)

1 tsp dried yeast

2 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp rosewater

4 tbsp orange blossom water

Pure icing sugar, to serve

DATE FILLING (OPTION 1

1 kg date paste (see note)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp each ground nutmeg

and cloves

NUT FILLING (OPTION 2

1 kg coarsely chopped

walnuts or pistachio nuts

(or a combination of both)

200 gm white sugar

2 tbsp orange blossom water

2 tbsp rosewater

4 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Place semolina, butter and oil

in a large bowl and work with

your hands until combined and

it resembles wet sand (at least

10-15 minutes). Cover with

plastic wrap and rest overnight.

2 The next day, add flour,

mastic, mahlab and 1 tsp salt to

semolina and gently rub in with

3 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
extra
2-3 pieces mastic (see note)
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tbsp nine-spice mix (see
recipe p120), plus 1 tsp extra
½ tsp turmeric
600 gm boneless lamb shoulder,
cut into 5cm cubes, or
2.5kg bone-in stewing
cuts of lamb or beef
2 onions, 1 sliced into
half-moons
2 tbsp butter
15-18 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
500 gm rice ( jasmine or medium
grain), washed and drained
400 gm canned chickpeas,
drained and rinsed
Toasted pine nuts, almonds
and plain yoghurt, to serve

1 Heat olive oil in a large
saucepan over medium-high
heat until hot but not smoking.
Add mastic, bay leaves,
nine-spice mix and turmeric,
and stir until fragrant, (1 minute).
Add lamb and sear on all sides
(about 3 minutes) until golden.
Add whole onion, tossing to
coat in spices, then add 2 litres
water and 1 tbsp salt. Bring to
the boil, skimming foam from

Holiday date and

nut cakes