DUBAI: Ramadan is a special time to get together with family and friends and what better dish to share with your loved ones for iftar than the mouth-watering Saudi meal margoog.
The dish is typically made with lamb, but Chef Riccardo Pinna, the executive chef at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, shared an easy vegetarian version of the popular dish.
Chef Riccardo Pinna, the executive chef at Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, was previously based in Saudi Arabia. (Supplied)
It may not feature meat, but Pinna’s recipe is well balanced, rich in fiber and lower in calories.
The chef was based in Saudi Arabia before he moved to the Maldives and it was there that he came to fall in love with Saudi cuisine.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, minced.
2 teaspoons of garlic, diced.
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
8 cups hot water
25 grams olive oil
Vegetables (eggplant, carrot, chili, pumpkin, zucchini), as desired
Dough
1/2 cup brown flour
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt
Spices
1 tablespoon mixed spices
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 dried limes
Method:
In a large bowl, add the flour, salt and water, then knead. Rest the dough for one hour.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough and cut it into medium-sized squares.
In a deep pot, over high heat, add oil and onion. Stir until the onion is tender.
Add garlic and stir briefly, then add tomato paste. Stir for a few minutes. Next, add the can of chopped tomatoes and all the spices except salt. Give it a good stir, then add the vegetables and hot water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
After 15 minutes, add the dough squares piece by piece to the simmering pot. Keep stirring for eight to 10 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through. Serve it hot and enjoy!
