Iraq recipes
Recipes from Iraq: home cooking with cultural background, ingredient substitutes and step-by-step instructions.
Kleicha: Iraqi Date-Filled Cookies Baked for Eid
A recipe for kleicha, called Iraq's national cookie: cardamom-scented yeast dough rolled around date paste. Covers the custom of baking with family for Eid after Ramadan, how it differs from maamoul, not overcooking the dates, rolling and cutting, walnut and pistachio fillings, and storage.
Masgouf: Iraq's Charcoal-Grilled Tigris Fish with Tamarind
A full guide to masgouf, Iraq's national dish: a large freshwater fish, traditionally carp, split open and grilled beside charcoal in the Baghdad style. Covers the tamarind and spice paste, tamarind sauce, grilling tips, home substitutes with a broiler or oven, and variations.
Arook: Iraqi Potato and Herb Fritters
A recipe for Iraqi home-style arook (aruk), pan-fried patties of potato, herbs, egg, and spices. It covers squeezing out the moisture, holding the oil at 170°C, shaping patties that don't fall apart, a meat version, storage and reheating, and serving with flatbread and pickles.
Kubba Mosul: Iraq's Big Bulgur and Meat Platter Pie
A recipe for Mosul-style kubba from northern Iraq, with a thin bulgur and beef shell around a spiced lamb filling. Covers shaping that does not tear, why it is parboiled before frying, substitutes, freezing, the table background, regional ways of eating, and changes in heat and cutting, all in concrete terms for a home kitchen.