Recipe: Makhlama, Iraq’s Delicious Answer to Shakshuka

Whoever thinks they’ve exhausted Middle Eastern cuisine is mistaken. In the wonderful (!) NOOMI, Sara Shawkat introduces you to the world of Iraq’s still largely unexplored cuisine. She teaches you how to make authentic Iraqi classics such as this makhlama and shares stories about food traditions and special ingredients such as noomi—the dried lime that, according to Sara, forms the common thread running through Iraqi cuisine.

Sara: “Iraqis can essentially eat a hot meal three times a day. This is a breakfast dish I make when I get up and feel like having dinner. By now, everyone is familiar with shakshuka; makhlama is a similar dish but has a little more bite and is seasoned differently. Drizzle generously with lemon juice.”

How to make makhlama

• Briefly toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and allspice over low heat. Grind the toasted spices finely in a mortar together with the peppercorns and add the paprika.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion in it for 4 minutes over high heat. Add the spice mixture and fry for another 1 minute.
• Break up the ground meat with a fork, chop it finely and fry along for 3 minutes over high heat. Lower the heat and add the garlic, tomato and salt to taste. Fry for another 4 minutes.
• Use a spoon to make four wells in the tomato-and-ground-meat mixture and crack an egg into each well. Cover the pan and let everything simmer for 5–8 minutes. The dish is ready when the egg whites have set.
• Garnish the makhlama with parsley and spring onion, sprinkle the chili flakes over it and drizzle with lemon juice.

Title: Noomi
Author: Sara Shawkat
Price: €33.99
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers

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