Fadi says: “We use aubergine (eggplant) in all manner of recipes. It is a wonderful vegetable when it’s roasted, charred, and smoky, and we all know how fantastic baba ghanoush is. This recipe works as a starter or as part of a shared table and it screams summer to my palate.”

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 4 large aubergines
• Olive oil
• 95 g / ⅓ cup tahinia
• 4 garlic cloves
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 chillies, finely chopped
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 bunch dill, fronds coarsely chopped and stems discarded
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.

Rub the aubergines with the olive oil and place them in a roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes so they cook evenly.

Meanwhile, prepare the tahinia sauce. Combine the tahinia, 2½ tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 of the garlic cloves, the lemon juice, chillies, and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, add the water slowly and continue mixing until the sauce is smooth.

Place the aubergines on a serving dish, and press down so the skin cracks.

Drizzle on the tahinia sauce, and sprinkle the dill, parsley, nigella seeds and coriander seeds on top. Then sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds and the pine nuts.

Thinly slice the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Heat a little oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden, 2 minutes. Drizzle the oil with the garlic on top, and serve.

Fadi says: “On a Palestinian barbecue, of course, there are the classics: kebabs, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken, and marinated chicken skewers. But we also grill whole small onions, tomatoes, and chilli peppers. The heat from a barbecue is fantastic if you manage it correctly. Start off with things like sujuk sausages (spicy, dry fermented sausages), then move to chicken, lamb, and vegetables. This tomato salad is easy and delicious, the ideal accompaniment to whatever you have on the barbecue.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 700 g / 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ teaspoons dried zaatar leaves, chopped
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh spearmint leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon peppermint leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon crumbled laban jameed (see page 33)

Method

Prepare a gas or charcoal fire in the barbecue to be flaming hot.

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, zaatar leaves, and salt. Place the tomatoes directly on the barbecue grill. Reserve the oil remaining in the bowl.

Turn the tomatoes on the grill, until they are nicely charred on all sides; this should take about 3 minutes. Move the tomatoes to the higher shelf of the barbecue or to the side of the barbecue away from the direct heat if a shelf isn’t available. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through without charring more. Remove from the heat.

Add both types of mint to the flavoured oil that remains in the bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Cut the cooked tomatoes into quarters with a very sharp knife so they’re not damaged or squashed and transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle the herbed oil on top. Sprinkle the laban jameed on top to finish.

Fadi says: “This recipe is meant to celebrate the deliciousness of tahinia and chickpeas. Tahinia is produced from sesame seeds in the ancient factories of Palestine, from Jerusalem to Nablus, where a beautiful nutty scent emanates across the historic alleyways. However, the essence of this dish is the chickpeas, or hummus in Arabic, not the variations that we are witnessing crop up across the world, where “hummus” seems to have become a term to describe any kind of dip with tahinia.

“In Arabic, the word mutabal means “seasoned”, but it describes so much more. Mutabal is seasoning with tahinia, fresh lemon juice, herbs, garlic, and spices which ends up being a mixture called tatbileh. I call for almond slivers and sumac in the recipe, but parsley is a very good garnish too.”

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 400 g / 14 ounces dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water to cover
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250 g / ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons tahinia
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 1 tablespoon almond slivers
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac

Method

Drain the chickpeas and combine them in a saucepan with the baking soda and 1¼ L / 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chickpeas are soft throughout. While cooking, regularly remove the foam that can float on top.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking water. Reserve a few chickpeas for decorating the dish and transfer the rest to a mixing bowl. Use a handheld blender at low speed to crush the chickpeas into a paste. Add the garlic cloves and continue blending. Slowly add the tahinia, salt, cumin, and lemon juice while blending. Add 4 tablespoons of the chickpea cooking water while blending. If the paste is not smooth, you may need to add up to 1 more tablespoon.

Using a large spoon or a spatula, gently fold in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until you obtain a creamy, silky consistency.

In a small pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Add the almond slivers and fry until lightly coloured, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Transfer the houmous to a plate and sprinkle the reserved chickpeas, the almonds, and sumac on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.