I find more than anything else, the food of the Mediterranean perfectly suitable for the Indian climate and palate. It is light, healthy with ingredients that you can by and large, find easily in India and, most importantly, it satisfies the principle we love most, taste. To enter into the spirit of Mediterranean eating you must enjoy food, but treat it seriously, beginning with the planning, through shopping, peeling, chopping and cooking, to the sitting down at table. Shopping is particularly important. Choose good-quality ingredients in good condition, and feel and smell them to be sure of that. There is added pleasure when they are in season and at their best. Garnish in the traditional southern Mediterranean way with chopped herbs, toasted almonds, raisins and pine-nuts or black and green olives. The presentation must be beautiful in a simple and natural way, not fussy, fiddly or effete. On the whole, you do not need complex expensive wines to drink with simple hearty dishes. When food is strongly flavoured and aromatic it needs simple robust wines with character and quality, which can stand up to the flavours and support them. Lebanese dishes are often accompanied by Arak, a clear alcohol made with anise, which turns milky when you add water or ice to it. It is the same in Greece with ouzo.
On the whole the Mediterranean is an impoverished, rural world whose food is simple and rooted in the soil. The reality behind the charm of the region is one of hardship and poverty and constant struggle where everything is gained by painful effort. Why then does everyone enthuse about the heavenly raw materials of Mediterranean cooking? Because, despite the difficulties, when the conditions are right the result is so good that it is hardly credible. Mediterranean food has now acquired almost cult status the world over. The entire region, which links sixteen or so countries around the Mediterranean Sea, framed in the north by mountains and in the south by the desert, is a world of its own with a somewhat similar climate, vegetation and a common way of life. The area has its own characteristic aromas. In the north (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal) and west you are greeted by the scent of lavender, thyme, rosemary, and a whole variety of wild herbs. In the east and the south (Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Algeria, Syria, Cyprus) there is the enchanting fragrance of orange and lemon blossoms in winter, and jasmine in summer. The food too has a personality of its own – very sensual and strongly flavoured. The northern and Christian Mediterranean use herbs and wine lavishly, while spice and fragrance characterise the southern and eastern parts. Food is cooked in olive oil, grilled over charcoal, simmered slowly, and deep-fried. Sauces are thickened with bread, ground almonds or walnuts, or emulsified with egg. The thread that runs across the entire range of dishes is the abundant use of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pine nuts, parsley and grilling over charcoal. With little use of butter and cream and tons of grains, vegetables, fruit and fish, the cuisine is also considered one of the healthiest in the world. It also offers the Vegetarian gourmet a great deal more choice than other International cuisines.
I am often asked what it is about the Mediterranean diet that makes it so healthy. Is it the olive oil, red wine and balanced food pyramid, relying on daily staples as a way of life because they taste good and are healthy? Yes, it is undoubtedly all of the above. However, my theory is that the ‘clincher’ here is the siesta – the long afternoon nap which certainly puts any stress at bay!
Here are 2 recipes from the southern and eastern Mediterranean. I’ve been making humous this way for 30 years to rave reviews. Ingredients are easy but it’s the process which if you follow carefully will result in a finished product as good as any restaurant. The couscous salad is my take on the Moroccan staple.
HUMOUS – CHICKPEA DIP
Ingredients
250 gms dried chickpeas
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp Tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
1tsp salt
1tsp paprika or mild red chilli powder to garnish
Method
* Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. They should swell to almost double their size.
* Wash in several changes of water
* Boil or pressure cook with a little salt in plenty of water until very soft. Reserve a few for garnish
* Refrigerate with its water. The next day, blend the chick peas with 2-3 tbsp of the cooking water, the garlic, tahini and lime juice. If the puree is looking too coarse, add some more cooking liquid.
* Add the olive oil towards the end a little at a time as you would for mayonnaise. If you add it all at one go, your humous may “split”. You should obtain a fine puree, which looks a bit like baby food. If you are going to use the humous later, make the puree a little thinner, since it will dry out slightly in the fridge.
* Serve in a shallow bowl. Scoop out a little from the centre with the back of a spoon or fork and pour in the remaining olive oil around. Sprinkle paprika or kashmiri chilli powder on top and the few solitary chcikpeas. This indicates (on a mezze table) what kind of dip this is..
COUSCOUS AND PINENUT SALAD
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup couscous
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (chilgoza)
2 tbs lime juice
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup freshly chopped mint
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley /coriander
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped
Method
Place couscous in a bowl. Heat the stock till boiling, pour into bowl and cover with a lid. When cool, remove lid and remove any lumps with a fork. The couscous is cooked and ready to eat. Add olive oil, tomatoes and pine nuts and dress with lime juice, garlic, mint and parsley. Grind over pepper and check seasoning. Mix well. Serve at room temperature garnished with olives.
Tip
The thing to remember about couscous is that it cooks really quickly. Most people over cook it and it turns really lumpy. Recipes recommend “steaming” which can be problematic. This method is much simpler. If you don’t have home made stock, just use a good stock cube or stock powder.