We’re very pleased to announce we are now serving delicious Vegan Pepperoni as part of our range of Vegan Pizzas. Good news for those needing a vegan pizza in the inner west or those who just want to try something a little different. Our Baklavas are now vegan too and you can try them as part of the combo meal deal. Drop by Manoosh or order online.
If you have recently fallen for falafel you are certainly in good company, as this delicious treat has wooed millions throughout the years. Here is a brief look at how it all began as well as what makes falafel so special.
If you are one of the few who have never eaten falafel, prepare yourself for a new favourite food. Lebanese falafel is made from chick peas which are soaked, ground and mixed with spices, such as cumin, chili, garlic and coriander. This mix is then formed into balls or patties and fried. Falafel balls can be eaten on their own, with a side of hommus or tabouleh, or as part of a full sized meal – the most popular approach is to stuff them inside a pita with a salad and a drizzle of tahini on top.
Everyone from Palestinians to Indians to Israelis claim to have been the first to eat falafel and considering that its main ingredients have been around for thousands of years it is little wonder that so many have developed such a strong affinity with this popular food. However, falafel almost certainly originated in Egypt, where it was first known as ra’amia and was made using fava beans rather than chick peas. Many believe that is was Egyptian Christians who created falafel, using it as a meat substitute on days when their diet was restricted by their religious beliefs.
Apart from being delicious, falafel is fast, cheap and healthy, making it the ideal snack food. While it takes quite a few hours to soak the chick peas, cooking falafel is extremely quick, making it very attractive for those looking to save money on fuel. Furthermore, its core ingredients are not only inexpensive, they are easy to transport and can keep for long periods of time without spoiling. Best of all, falafel is high in protein; it contains carbohydrates, fibre and an array of vitamins and minerals as well, including potassium, magnesium and folate. Falafel is also low in fat, salt and cholesterol.
From its humble beginnings in ancient Egypt, falafel quickly spread throughout the Middle East and beyond. Ancient sailors are credited with the early rise in falafel’s popularity, many of whom would have stocked up on falafel in the port city of Alessandria and taken these tasty treats with them as far as Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The popularity of falafel in Israel is attributed to the influence of Yemeni immigrants during the 1950’s, while places like Australia have their Lebanese born citizens to thank for this delicious treat. Nowadays you can find falafel almost everywhere, from Brisbane to Baghdad to Boston.
While there are many who can make a tasty falafel, few can match the fresh, healthy and authentic Lebanese version. If you have fallen for falafel and are looking to indulge your newfound love, stop by Manoosh or order online, we’d be happy to prepare this delicious and healthy Lebanese food for you!
We’ve not reached the bright lights of Hollywood just yet, but Manoosh is now on the big screen at Dendy Cinema Newtown. Watch out for us next time you catch a movie – then drop by for a pizza of course!
That’s right, due to high demand from other suburbs, we’re expanding our delivery area. If you or anyone you know are unfortunate enough to miss out on Manoosh because you’re too far away, fear not and watch this space, because we may be able to get too you soon too!
This month we have opened up the space next door, so our customers now have an awesome place to dine-in. We’re all really happy with the new space, and as you can see, it seems to be going down well with our customers too. Why not come and check it out?
The ancient philosopher, Pythagoras, once wrote that “The universe begins with bread.” While this might seem like a pretty big statement, there is no doubt that bread has had a massive impact on humanity. Wars have been fought over it, uprisings have been sparked by its price, and people have survived for long periods of time on nothing but bread and water.
The relationship between humans and wheat – bread’s key ingredient – goes back thousands of years to hunter-gatherer times. Wheat is known to have grown on several continents in ancient times, though it thrived most in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, a region that includes parts of modern day Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
It is believed that early humans first chewed wheat for its nutritional value. Only much later did they discover that if you dried and ground the grains and added liquid could you bake it over a fire to create bread.
Many believe that humans first learned to bake bread as early as 10,000 BC, though the Ancient Egyptians are viewed as the first to perfect it roughly 6,000 years ago. After becoming wildly popular throughout Ancient Egypt, the practice of baking bread quickly spread throughout the region and beyond. Bread would continue to evolve and become part of almost every culture on earth.
The significance of bread’s arrival wasn’t lost on the world’s major religions. Many viewed it as nothing short of a gift from heaven and bread quickly became part of religious writings, sayings and rituals.
You can find references to bread throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments where it is hailed as being a gift from God and even the body of Christ himself. Even the birthplace of Jesus – Bethlehem – translates from Hebrew to mean the House of Bread.
Islam is similarly enamoured with bread, as is shown through the works of Rumi, a prominent 13th Century Sufi mystic. Rumi famously dedicated a series of poems to bread in which he praises it as a mirror of life itself.
Bread became so important to everyday life that in the middle Ages the rulings powers started to control it – they knew that without access to bread the masses would revolt. Regulations were brought in to control how bread was made, how much it could be sold for, and in many cases governments subsidized the cost of bread to keep prices low. To this day many countries still don’t tax bread as it is seen as a necessity of life.
Despite all of the advancements of the modern world very little has changed when it comes to bread, particularly in the Middle East where it remains just as important as ever. We eat it with dips, such as hommus, it is a key element in salads, such as fattoush, and we have used it as a pizza-like base for manoosh for thousands of years. To us, life simply wouldn’t be the same without bread.
If you’d like to try authentic Lebanese bread from a Lebanese bakery we have plenty of delicious options waiting for you. Simply drop by Manoosh or order online, you won’t be disappointed.
If you have recently fallen in love with zaatar and want to put it on everything, rest assured that you are not alone. People have been loyal fans of this ancient spice for thousands of years. One of the best things about za’atar is that you can do almost anything with it; here is a brief look at some of your many options;
The earthy flavours of zaatar (often known as za’atar or zatar) are the perfect complement to almost any kind of meat and you can either use it as a seasoning or incorporate it into a marinade. Zaatar goes particularly well with chicken, lamb, beef and salmon.
Whether you use store-bought pita or slices of French bread, add a drizzle of olive oil and a healthy sprinkling of zaatar, then broil it – the result will be a simple yet delicious snack. If you are feeling a little more adventurous make yourself a traditional manoosh – the only difference is making your own flat bread, adding a few extra toppings and baking it in the oven. Manoosh have some of the best za’atar bread in Sydney!
Adding a pinch or two of zaatar to any vegetable based soup will highlight all of those gorgeous natural flavours. While almost any type of soup will do, those made with pumpkin, squash or sweet potato will thrive most with a little zaatar.
Want to take your favourite dip to a whole new level? Sprinkle some zaatar on top! Not only will zaatar enhance the flavour of everything from hummus to French Onion dip, it provides a wonderfully healthy touch. Add zaatar to plain yoghurt or sour cream and you will have a dipping sensation perfect for summer entertaining.
Zaatar goes well with baked, grilled or barbequed vegetables of almost any kind, so much so that even your kids will be lining up for seconds. Whether corn, carrots or potatoes are your favourite, you’ll be amazed at the difference a little zaatar can make.
Tired of eating boring salads? Simply add zaatar. While it is best suited to Lebanese style salads such as tabouli, zaatar will boost Greek salads, pasta salads and liven up even the most uninspiring garden salad.
If you are a Middle Eastern chef at heart and like to make your own falafel mix, throw some zaatar in there as well! Those falafel balls be healthier, taste better and even your Lebanese friends will be begging for the recipe.
Zaatar and almost any type of cheese is a match made in heaven. Add a sprinkle of zaatar to grilled halloumi, roll balls of goat cheese in zaatar, or combine olives and zaatar with some homemade labneh (a type of yoghurt based cheese) for a truly gourmet treat.
There is a reason why zaatar has been used in cooking for thousands of years – it can do almost anything! If you need some inspiration stop by Manoosh and try one of our many zaatar based delicacies – or why not let us bring it straight to you?
Ask any lover of Middle Eastern food about their favourite dish and many will rave on and on about lahembajin. One of the oldest, simplest and most delicious dishes in Lebanese cuisine, lahembajin literally translates to mean ‘meat on dough’.
While meat on dough may not sound terribly impressive, there is a lot more to it than that. Lahembajin basically consists of a thin, round, flat bread topped with a mixture of ground meat, vegetables and herbs that is then baked in a wood fired oven. The meat is commonly lamb or beef, the vegetables are usually onion, capsicum and tomato, and herbs can include parsley, mint and cilantro.
Like many elements of Lebanese cuisine lahembajin originated in the Levant region (modern day Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Israel). Not surprisingly, once word got out about this delicious meal it was soon incorporated into many different cultural cuisines of the surrounding area, in particular Turkish and Armenian. It is for this reason that you will now see many different words used for lahembajin, such as lahmacune, lahmajun or even lahmajoon.
There is no one ‘official’ way to make lahembajin, with ingredients and techniques varying widely from family to family and culture to culture. As always, fresh, quality ingredients are best and like most Middle Eastern food, the simpler it is the better. Let’s take a look at the basics.
The Base
The dough used in lahembajin is somewhat similar to pizza in that it contains yeast and needs to be rolled out extremely flat. Any decent lahembajin must have a thin and crispy base.
The Toppings
The secret to a great lahembajin lies in chopping up all those ingredients nice and small. Not only will finely minced meat cook better, but the smaller those vegetables are the easier it will be for them to combine well with the other ingredients. One of the best things about lahembajin is that you can get as creative as you like with your toppings!
The Spices
Traditionally lahembajin is on the sweet and spicy side of the taste spectrum though there are certainly many variations. Everything from paprika and cayenne pepper to cinnamon and cumin has been used to great effect.
The cooking
Once the dough is made, the meat and vegetables are usually sautéed briefly before being added as toppings. To cook lahembajin properly you need very high heat, which is traditionally achieved via a wood fired oven.
The Garnish
The finishing touches on a lahembajin are simple yet vital as they help to balance the flavours and bring out that lahembajin magic! A drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and some fresh parsley, mint or cilantro will usually do the trick.
The Eating
You can eat your lahembajin however you like, though folding or rolling it are both popular techniques.
If you like meat you will love lahembajin! For an authentic lahembajin experience drop by OOSHMAN, or order online, we’d be more than happy to prepare a fresh lahembajin for you! Manoosh are plating up some of the best Lebanese food in the inner west!