I have been exploring the history of Armenian and Lebanese foods. This topic may sound a bit odd, but I have a personal interest in these foods. My family is Armenian on my mother’s side and Lebanese on my father’s. I grew up eating foods like kibbeh, mujaddara, and madzoun, but in exploring more healthy ways of eating over the years, I have eschewed many of these dishes because they contain grains or legumes. Recently, however, I have been interested in exploring my family’s history. And what better way to explore than through the foods they ate and the traditions surrounding those foods? As I read and learn, I wonder if more modern recipes have left out one essential step in the preparation of these dishes: fermentation.


INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb. chickpeas
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium potato, peeled
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp. coriander, ground
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tsp. baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Soak chickpeas for 24 hours. Drain. Quarter onion and potato. Run all through fine holes of the meat grinder along with garlic two times.
- Add all remaining ingredients except baking soda and vegetable oil. Mix well. Run through grinder once more. Mix again. Cover and leave to rest for 2-3 hours.
- Heat oil for deep frying. While oil is heating add baking soda to the chickpea mixture. With dampened hands, form a mixture into balls the size of a walnut, then flatten slightly into a patty. Deep fry, making sure patties are cooked through and are golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
In the future, I will be experimenting with fermenting the bulgur wheat in kibbeh. My family’s recipe calls for soaking the wheat for 1 hour. And while that’s enough to soften it, I wonder if kibbeh was previously soaked in water and a little whey from the laban and allowed to ferment for a couple of days before mixing with the meat. It’s certainly worth a try to have my favorite dish, at least now and then.
Sahtayn!