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Andalusian crunchy broad beans

This scrumptious recipe from The Exile’s Cookbook is easy to make, but does require a bit of preparation since you first need to germinate broad beans (فول, fūl). Once that is done, however, you’re good to go; after a quick rinse, the beans are fried in olive oil until golden brown. Before serving, add a dusting of salt, pepper and cinnamon — or, as the author says ‘anything else you like to enhance the flavour’ — and enjoy! It’s an amazing snack, and much healthier than crisps!

And what’s more, there are quite a few benefits to eating broad beans, which, according to medieval physicians, were among the foods that preserve health. In addition, they were said to soften the throat, and even clear freckles. Unpeeled broad beans boiled in vinegar were recommended against diarrhoea and vomiting. On the downside, their flatulent effect was said to be unmatched, and may cause heaviness in the head and confused dreams! Life is all about choices…

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Salah al-Din’s vegetable samosa

This is another example of a so-called ‘counterfeit’ dish (مزوّرة, muzawwara), which derived its name from the fact that they were vegetable variants of meat dishes. They were intended for sick people as vegetables were thought to be lighter, but a conscious attempt was made to try and make the vegetarian counterpart look like the original in order to deceive the diner to persuade them to eat!

This particular recipe is a counterfeit version of the sanbusaj (سنبوسج), which usually had a meat filling, and was made by pounding chard (silq, سلق) with coriander, lemon juice and vinegar. The mixture is then wrapped in thin leavened sheets of dough (ruqaq, رقاق) and deep-fried in olive oil.

It was designed — and prescribed — by the private physician for the great Ayyubid Sultan Salah al-Din (Saladin), who drove out the Crusaders. His name was Ibn Jumayʿ (ابن جميع, d. 1198); born in Cairo, his expertise was such that he was called ‘the teacher of his Age’ (Ustādh zamānihi). One of the most noteworthy facts recorded about him is that he allegedly saved someone from being buried alive.

Ibn Jumayʿ wrote a number of medical works, such as al-Irshād li-maṣāliḥ al-anfus wa-al-ajsād (الإرشاد لمصالح الأنفس والأجساد, ‘Guidance for the Welfare of Souls and Bodies’) and a highly interesting ‘Treatise to Salah al-Din on the Revival of the Art of Medicine’ (المقالة الصلاحية في إحياء الصناعة الطبّية , al-Maqāla al-Salāḥiyya fī Iḥyā’ al-ṣina’a al-ṭibbiyya), a history of (Greek) medicine. He also wrote treatises on the properties and uses of individual foodstuffs, such as the lemon and rhubarb.

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Mamluk Pickled Onions

A recipe from 14th-century Egypt involving cut onions being pickled in salty water, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, mint, coriander, caraway, and the aṭrāf al-ṭīb (أطراف الطيب) spice mixture. And the best thing about it is that one only has to wait one day before eating it (though it can be kept for much longer, of course)! The medieval Arab culinary tradition reveals the importance of pickled vegetables in the diet, with onions being a particular favourite.

This is a most apt recipe for this time of the year, as we are inexorably sliding into autumn, which, so the Tunisian-born scholar Ahmad Ibn Yusuf al-Tifashi (أحمد بن يوسف التيفاشي, d. 1253) reminds us, is “marked by a cold, dry nature. It contrasts with the temperament of the blood, making it a time when illnesses are common due to fluctuating conditions. It increases the risk of diseases like quartan fevers and spleen disorders due to the build-up of black bile. Therefore, during autumn, it is recommended to avoid purging or vomiting, and limit food intake. Fruits should be avoided, and one should refrain from cold baths.” Good advice, as ever!

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Andalusian Shrimp

This unique dish from 13th-century al-Andalus and North Africa from The Exile’s Cookbook for shrimp (prawns), known as qamarun (قمرون), a borowing from the Latin cammarus. They could not be easier to make: take as many prawn as you like and bring them to a boil three times over a gentle fire. Then they’re ready to serve, with a sprinkling of crushed salt and oregano. The author recommended prawns from the Seville region, but said that a similar variety was found in Bijāya, Algeria. In addition to being delicious, the dish also serves a medicinal purpose since the prawns were allegedly prescribed for breaking up calculi

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Purslane goat stew

Known in al-Andalus as tafāyā (تفايا), a word of Berber origin, it is one of the dishes allegedly imported by the famous Abbasid musician and gastronome Ziryāb (d. 852). In the East, it was known as isfīdhbāj(a), a Persian borrowing which translates as ‘white stew’ because it was originally made with cheese.

It seems to have suited the Andalusian palate since it became extremely popular; it would be served as the first course of every meal, whereas the great physician Ibn Zuhr (1094–1162) claimed it was one of the best ways to cook meat.

This particular tafāyā is made with kid (a small goat), which is cooked with water, salt, olive oil, coriander, mint, almonds, onions, purslane and, of course, lots of eggs! The result is aptly called a ‘green’ tafāyā.

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Mamluk Fennel Yoghurt

This recipe from 14th-century Egypt requires cultivated fennel, which is called shamār (شمار) here, an infrequent word for this herb, which is usually known as rāziyānaj (رازيانج) and, in the Maghrib and al-Andalus, as nāfiʿ (نافع) or basbās (بسباس).

The fennel is rubbed with salt and then left in a bowl to dry it out. The dairy element is equally easy to do; drain yoghurt and mix in pounded garlic and mint with olive oil. When that is done, it is time to add the yoghurt mixture to the fennel. Before serving, sprinkle some mint and dried rosebuds on top, and dot black olives about the surface. You can eat it immediately.

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Andalusian milk Tharīda with mutton

The tharīd (ثريد) is one of the oldest dishes in Arab cuisine and was imported from the East to North Africa and al-Andalus, where it gained a new lease of life, with the cookery books containing many recipes and new variants, such as this one, made with milk, from The Exile’s Cookbook.

The meat is cut up into large chunks and then cooked with pepper, salt, coriander, and onion. Once the meat is done, it is set aside and finely crumbled unleavened bread is added to the broth, to which milk is gradually added until the bread is saturated with it. The tharīd is transferred to a serving dish, after which freshly made butter (home-made is best of course!). The final touch comes in the guise of a dusting of sugar. The cakey texture of the bread is an ideal complement to the meat, whereas the butter and sugar provide a subtle sweet counterpoint. A delight!

The 12th-century Andalusian physician Ibn Zuhr stated that if the milk is boiled, the tharida is tastier and milder, but very harmful! I guess everything in life comes at a price!

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    Abbasid citron syrup

    This is a recreation of a rubb (ربّ), or inspissated fruit juice, made with pressed and strained citron pulp, sweetened with sugar (though honey can also be used), and boiled down with a spice sachet of saffron and nutmeg. When it is ready, wait for it to cool down to drink. Though primarily a medicinal drink which, so the author assures us, is beneficial for all kinds of stomach ailments, it really can be enjoyed even for those who are spared those!

    The 11th-century pharmacologist Ibn Jazla has a similar recipe, adding that it is even better if made with the peel, with the spice sachet containing ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and long pepper.

    In Muslim culture, the citron is endorsed by a famous Hadith, according to which “the example of a believer who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice.”

    It was praised in pre-Islamic times as well and in his book on ‘Prophetic medicine’, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 1350)reported that one of the Persian Sassanid rulers was displeased with his physicians and ordered they be jailed, but he gave them a choice of food. They chose the citron and when queried by the monarch, they replied: “Because it quickly becomes a perfume, its appearance gladdens the heart, its peel is fragrant, the flesh is a fruit, the pith a food, and its seeds an antidote.

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    North African Qahiriyya

    A 13th-century North African and Andalusi twist on the famous ‘Cairene‘ sweet (قاهرية) –fried marzipan doughnuts . This particular iteration from The Exile’s Cookbook requires a mixture made with sugar, almonds, rose water, cassia, cinnamon, spikenard, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, galangal, and camphor. This is formed into small kaʿk shapes — i.e. small rings. Then, it’s time to make the batter, with flour, sugar, yeast, starch, salt, and again some almonds.

    The author recommends using almond oil for the deepfrying, though olive oil is a suitable alternative. Once the oil has come to a boil, the qahiriyya are ready for their hot bath — just long enough for them to brown, after which they should be swiftly removed. Serve drenched in honey or thickened rose-water syrup, and dust with caster sugar. Yes, indeed!

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    al-Ma’mun’s citron stew

    A recipe for a lamb stew made with citron pulp ( حماض, hummād) attributed to the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma’mūn (d. 833), the son of Harun al-Rashid, and founder of the famous ‘House of Wisdom’ (بيت الحكمة, bayt al-hikma). A renowned gastronome, he also gave his name to a popular rice pudding and is said to have written a cookery book, which is unfortunately lost.

    The recipe involves lamb chunks cooked with onion, coriander, olive oil, chickpeas and salt. Once the meat is done, the citron pulp is added, while pomegranate juice and some sugar is used to take the edge off the sourness. It is seasoned with pepper, coriander, and ginger. There is, however, a very interestiing twist in the tail as it should be poured over pieces of bread, thus turning it into a tharid. So, there you have it — two for the price of one! What’s not to like?