Many influences come together to make the NENI flavour. Haya Molcho has divulged the makings of one meal for you to try. To the recipe for arayes. Kebab from the charcoal grill in pitta bread, with lemon cream sauce, tahini, tomato salsa and zhoug. It appears in the cookbook ‘Tel Aviv by NENI’ – and on the menu at NENI.
- Mince the beef and lamb fat together (alternatively, have butcher mince it finely).
- Peel and finely mince the onions.
- Finely mince the parsley.
- Mix the onions and parsley with the meat, salt and pepper in a large bowl and knead well.
- Halve the pitta breads and fill each of the bread halves with an eighth of the minced-meat mass.
- Warm olive oil in a frying pan and fry the filled pitta halves in it, 3 minutes on each side.
- Place the pitta halves in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pitta halves from the oven and cut each into two pieces.
- Arrange the pieces on plates and serve them with tomato salsa, tahini and lemon cream sauce.
If you don’t especially like the strong taste of lamb, you can substitute minced beef for a portion of the lamb fat.
- Stir the lemon juice and salt into 110 ml water in a high container.
- Gradually stir in the sesame puree with a whisk or hand blender until the ingredients are well combined and the tahini is smooth and creamy.
- Adapt the recipe for larger amounts as needed; the tahini can be kept in the refrigerator over a period of days.
👌 Haya’s tip:
Both the pure sesame puree and the sauce made from it are referred to in Israel as tahini – therefore always read the ingredient list on the package when shopping.
If desired, the sauce can also be refined with finely minced garlic, boiled red beets or blanched and pureed herbs. The variations provide for variety in flavour and appearance.
Lemon juice and fresh herbs may also be added to taste, as needed.
Preparation
- Add olive oil and salt to the tomato pulp to taste.
- Adapt the recipe for larger amounts as needed; the salsa can be kept in the refrigerator over a period of days.
- Peel the garlic and mince it very finely.
- Cut off the lower part of the herb stems and finely mince the coriander and parsley.
- Core the sivri and mince it finely.
- Alternatively, coarsely chop the ingredients or coarsely puree them in a blender (small pieces should still be visible).
- Mix the mass with the olive oil and salt it to taste.
Preferably mix all the ingredients to a velvety paste in a Thermomix (otherwise with a hand blender). Adapt the recipe for larger amounts as needed; the cream can be kept in the refrigerator over a period of days.
