“Mait Franji” is the Aleppine name of Tomato paste. “Rghif Mait Franji” is tomato paste wrap, a specialty of Aleppo. When we moved to Aleppo, I started noticing what my Aleppine friends at school used to bring for breakfast/snack and almost every day they had “Rghif Mait Franji”, then it became my favorite. Simple and very delicious.
Let’s make Rghif Mait Franji:
This post is related to : Typical Syrian Breakfast
Have you ever thought about making eggplant into Jam? Mrabba Al-Bathenjan (Eggplant Jam) is very popular in Syria. You would be surprised how delicious it is. Today I’ll share the recipe of Eggplant Jam of Hama, and next post will be “Mrabba Al-Bathenjan Al-Halabi” which is the recipe of Aleppo.
Let’s make Mrabba Al-Bathenjan:
Aleppo is the famous city of Za’atar, one of the most important blend of any Syrian home’s pantry.
Aleppian Za’atar has a different element from other neighboring countries. It is based on mixture of crushed spices and roasted nuts mixed with sumac and toasted sesame seeds. The blend of ingredients varies from one spice dealer, or ‘Attar to another.
Za’atar Halabi is usually prepared in September, and because it is widely available commercially people do not bother making it at home. In Aleppo, people used to buy Za’atar from Al-Madina Souq which is now destroyed and burnt as result of the war.
Za’atar Halabi is always a part of Syrian breakfast table. It is eaten by dipping a piece of bread in olive oil first then dipping it in Za’atar. Za’atar Halabi is not used for manakish (only Jordainen, Palestenian, and Lebanese Za’atar are used for manakish).
Let’s make Za’atar Halabi:
Mamouniyeh is a specialty of Aleppo. It is a breakfast dish prepared from semolina, ghee, and sugar syrup, served with cheese and sh’eibiyyat. People think that Mamouniyeh named after “Al-Ma’moun” the seventh Abbasid caliph, but according to Encyclopedia of Aleppo, Mamouniyeh was created by “Ma’moun” a person from Aleppo and named after him.
Let’s make Mamouniyeh:
Foul Mdammas (Foul Mudammas) is a very popular dish served for breakfast or any meal of the day. In Syria, we prepare Foul Mdammas in two ways which are Foul Mdammas Bez-Zeit (fava beans with olive oil) and Foul Mdammas Bel-Laban (Fava beans with yogurt). Previously, I’ve shared a recipe for Foul Mdammas, and the recipe for today is almost similar to old one but with Aleppine twist.
Let’s make Foul Mdammas Bel-Khaltah Al-Halabiyeh:
