Yemen

 Welcome to Yemen!  I have to admit: I always thought that Yemen was a city in Palestine.  Guess I was wrong!  I also have to admit: Yemen is not a place I want to go.  Especially after finding out that the average annual rainfall is less than 30 inches per year (and the non-mountainous areas of Yemen average 5 inches a year!).  According to Google, the population is 39.39 million people and  the capital is Sanaa.  Their national dish is...

 

Saltah!

It is a stew that is served with a fenugreek "foam".  Everything I read said don't skip the foam.  So we didn't!  We also made Bint al Sahn, which is a flaky dessert thing.  Interestingly enough, however, the Bint al Sahn is traditionally eaten with dinner!  I'll tell you more about it in our review.  Here's what I did:

SALTAH

Stew

1 tbsp avocado oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Onion, chopped
1/2 green chili pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt

6 tbsp cooked rice
1 lb. stew meat
5 cups water
A few tablespoons of prepared Hulba

1. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté garlic, onion, and chili pepper in oil until garlic browns and onion is translucent. 
2. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt. 
3. Add the beef and brown the meat for 5 minutes.
4. Add water to the mixture, cover, and cook for 2 hours, or until beef is tender.
5. Add the cooked rice.
   
6. Add a few dollops of whipped hulba and serve hot.

(Source: Saltah and Saltah)

 

Hulba

Water
2 tsp ground fenugreek
2 tbsp bisbas (see below)

1. Place ground fenugreek in a small bowl of water and let sit for at least one hour. 
2. Drain water. 
3. The fengureek should have absorbed water and is now ready to be whipped.
4. Whip the fenugreek using a mixer. 
5. Whip until the color has changed from brown to white and the bitter taste is gone. 
6. Add prepared bisbas to the fenugreek and whip in. 
7. Serve on top of saltah as a condiment.

(Source: Hulba)

 

Bisbas

1 bunch of green chives
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander
2 green chilies
1 dried chili
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp water

1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
2. Serve with hulba. 

(Source: Bisbas) 

BINT AL SAHN

1 package of gluten free puff pastry

1/4 C butter
1 egg yolk
Sesame seeds

Honey 

1. Grease a 12-inch spring form pan.
   
2. Roll out the puff pastry into 12 circles as thin as you can while still being able to pick it up.
3. Layer one puff pastry, and brush butter over the top layer.  Continue until all layers are complete.
4. On the top layer, brush with egg yolk and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
6. As soon as it comes out of the oven, move to a serving plate and drizzle generously with honey.
7. Serve warm, and with dinner. 

(Source: Bint al Sahn)

 

The verdict?  I was not a fan.  I liked the soup by itself.  When I added the Hulba, that was what did me in.  It was very bitter - I couldn't whip it enough to get the bitterness out.  Handsome Husband didn't mind it and didn't think it was super bitter.  The soup itself wasn't anything special, I didn't think.  Maybe if it didn't taste so bitter to me, I would have liked it more.  The Bint al Sahn was pretty good!  It was very strange eating something that sweet with dinner, but it was pretty good!  I read that when you serve Bint al Sahn and drizzle the honey on it, you are supposed to drizzle the most honey closest to your guest; it is a sign of respect and generosity.  So, Handsome Husband got the most honey on his side.

 

    

 

ME

Taste of Saltah (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 4

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Saltah (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 5

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

ME

Taste of Bint al Sahn (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Bint al Sahn (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 5

 

Another country down!  Join us when we "travel" to Slovakia!