A tribute to family, cooking and home

Arak Dill Prawns

Palestinian food is not just found on the streets with the ka’ak (sesame bread) sellers and stalls selling za’atar chicken and mana’eesh (za’atar sesame bread), but in the home too; in the kitchens all across the country, where families cook and eat together every day, in a way that generations before them have always done, says Palestine on a Plate author Joudie Kalla.

The book is a tribute to family, cooking and home — old recipes created with love that bring people together in appreciation of the beauty of this rich heritage.

This is a celebration of real Palestinian food, cooked with the ingredients that Joudie’s mother and grandmother use, and their grandmothers used before them.

Experience the wonderful flavours of Palestine through zingy fattet hummus (tangy yoghurt, chickpeas and hummus, served over toasted pita bread and drizzled in toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds), satisfyingly spiced makloubeh (an upside-down spiced rice dish with lamb shoulder and fried aubergines), sticky lemon-infused yalanji (vine leaves stuffed with a herby tabbouleh), and sublimely decadent awameh (honey dumplings) all accompanied by fresh mint tea and white ‘coffee’ (not actually coffee at all, but a refreshing mix of water, orange blossom water and sugar).

Colourful photography evoking the vibrancy and romance of the country will bring Palestine into your home and make you fall in love with this wonderful way of cooking and enjoying food.

• Joudie Kalla has been working as a chef in London for 16 years. She trained at the prestigious Leith’s School of Food and Wine and has worked at restaurants such as Pengelley’s, Daphne’s and Papillon. She has been running her own private catering company for over seven years and ran a hugely popular deli and restaurant, Baity Kitchen, for three years.

Arak and Dill Grilled PrawnsI ate a dish like this when on holiday in Greece, but made with pasta, says Joudie. The taste of ouzo, which is the Greek version of arak, was incredible. I asked my mother if she had ever had fish with arak before and she told me she had often cooked us a prawn dish with arak when we were younger, which we loved. The recipe below couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients150ml (5? oz) olive oil4 garlic cloves, sliced5 tomatoes, choppedA small bunch of fresh dill1 teaspoon caster sugar1 teaspoon sea salt1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped150ml (5? oz) arak (or ouzo)12 large raw prawns, shell on and deveinedMethod• Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes to release the flavour without browning.

• Add the tomatoes, dill, sugar and salt to the pan and stir together.

• Add the chilli and mix through.

• Add the arak and boil to let the alcohol evaporate.

• The flavours will have combined sufficiently after about 5 minutes of cooking.

• Add the prawns and let them simmer until they turn a beautiful burnt orange colour — take care not to cook the prawns too quickly or over too high a heat as this will turn the prawns rubbery.

• Mix together and serve.

(Serves 4)