When we lived in Winnipeg we spent time working with an Afghani community, and then we visited Morocco.  Both of these things have contributed to my LOVE for Indian/Middle Eastern cooking.  Am I good at it?  Probably not in comparison to those who really know what they’re doing.  BUT, I press on.  And to my non-Indian and non-Middle Eastern friends, they think I’m wonderful at it.  :)  I’d love to share with you the "traditional" menu that I use when preparing this meal, in the hopes that you’ll enjoy it too!  It’s the key to my husband’s heart…it might be the key to your husband’s heart this Valentine’s Day too!  He probably thinks I’m making this for Valentine’s Day (which is more importantly his BIRTHDAY, but I’m not…it’s a surprise that I’ll share ON Valentine’s Day!)

First of all, you should know that this meal is excellent for serving vegetarians and non-vegetarians.  It has an abundance of protein in the various dishes, so you don’t have to worry about it.

1. Channa Masala: This is a delicious chickpea based dish that includes tomatoes, chickpeas, and tons of spices.  To be honest, out of all the dishes, this one is my favourite!

2. Masoor Daal: This is a lentil dish that includes onions and other spices.  It’s SO simple to make, and adds to the whole meal.  I’ve made this one a bunch of times on its own as well!!

3. Beef Keftas: Obviously this one is not so great for the vegetarians.    This is like little meatballs flavoured with cumin and oregano.  They’re very yummy and easy to cook in the oven if you don’t want to cook it the other ways. 

4. Naan Bread: I have never made my own naan bread.  It’s something I’d like to try some day, but not yet.  You can check out the link to making naan bread, but be warned that I’ve never made it!  Naan bread is perfect for scooping up the channa masala and masoor daal.

5. Couscous: I buy organic couscous and then I cook it in chicken or vegetable broth with a touch of cumin, some raisins and sliced almonds.  I usually put the raisins into the broth for a while before cooking the couscous so that they soak and plump up!  You can use the link to see how to cook couscous.

6. Fresh Veggies: There’s no link for this!  I simply slice up cucumbers and tomatoes and put them on a plate for people to enjoy.  The freshness of the veggies cools your mouth down and works perfectly with the rest of the dishes.  I like serving a dish of olives as well! 

Have you ever cooked any middle-eastern food?  If so, what are you favourite recipes?  What are your tips?  Would you consider making this your special Valentine’s Day meal, or do you have a traditional meal that you make?

To see more of my favourite recipes, click here. 

This is an ultimate recipe in our family’s eyes.