If you like a little bit of everything on your plate, Iraqi cuisine is manna for you. A typical Iraqi buffet table will be laden with many varieties of dates, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, different kinds of cheese, olives, oils, dips, mezzes, salads, soups, breads, meat, rice and vegetable dishes rounded off with desserts, washed down with coffee and tea. At a buffet you can certainly pile your plate high with fresh, wholesome, light soul food.

Fresh meats and vegetables are grilled, baked, fried, or sautéed in olive oil, fragrant herbs and light spices to produce healthy, simple and rustic meals. The emphasis is on the freshness of the ingredients, and cooking methods ensure to retain the flavour, form and freshness of the meat and vegetables.  

Whilst carbonated and fruit drinks are consumed in large quantities, traditional drinks like laban, qahva (Arabic coffee), and Arabic tea flavoured with cardamom, clove or mint are also popular.

Iraqi cuisine is varied, refined and a reflection of the rich heritage of the country

A typical breakfast buffet consists of a varied spread of dairy products including milk, yoghurt, labneh, cream and cheese. Shorbat ‘adas, a slow-cooked lentil soup made with sha’aar or spaghetti, is a popular breakfast item. Ful medames is another popular item: cooked fava beans, kidney beans and chickpeas seasoned with olive oil, cumin, chopped parsley, onion, garlic, lemon juice and chilli peppers. Omelettes, boiled eggs, spiced scrambled eggs, baked beans, porridge, bread, jams, fruit, tea and coffee complete the spread.  

Lunch and dinner include essential fruits, salads, sauces, dips and mezze bar, an important complement to the main meal. There is a serving of meat, poultry or fish; a serving of rice, lentils and bread; and a serving of cooked vegetables. Often there is mansaf served on a large platter, with a vast amount of roast lamb and chicken served on a bed of spiced rice. Various stewed vegetables, often in tomato-based sauces, are to be eaten with rice and flatbreads. Some vegetables and meats are also cooked together in broths. There is often a soup or two, lahm and dajaj shawarma, and heaps of French fries.

 Haji Haider, the head chef at Safa Towers in Kazmain (a town near Bhaghdad), prepares lahm for dinner almost daily, as it is a popular dish. He slow-cooks the meat with large onion slices, tomato puree, turmeric powder, vinegar and lemon juice till the meat becomes tender. Then he lays out the meat chunks on a bed of Ruz al Bukhari (a rice dish made with spicy tomato sauce), and garnishes this with fresh salad, French fries and pita.

Another of his favourites is the national dish of Iraq, the samak masgouf.

“For this I prefer fish such as carp as its flesh is firm, moist flesh. Cut the fish lengthways and spread it out flat in one piece, to butterfly it. Clean out the insides, and leave the skin on.  Rub the juice of halved tomatoes all over the fish. Marinate the fish with a mixture of olive oil, salt, tamarind, and turmeric powder. After marinating the fish for a few hours, place it on a wire rack and slow-cook for two to three hours next to an open fire, till most of the fat is burned off. For a smoky flavour, place it directly over hot coals for a few minutes on each side. When the fish is cooked and crispy, lay it on a large tray, sprinkle lemon juice, and garnish with onion slices, lime, pickles and grilled tomatoes. Cover with a large pita bread to keep it warm.”

Iraqi cuisine is certainly an unending epicurean delight, and you can expect to return several pounds heavier and many inches bigger after a gastronomic trip to the country.

Spices and herbs

Iraqi cuisine uses several spices and herbs including sumac, black pepper, allspice, turmeric, cinnamon (used in meat dishes, as well as in sweets such as baklava), saffron, sesame, cumin, paprika, oregano, parsley, coriander and spice mixtures including za’atar and harissa. Sauces made from various combinations of garlic, olive oil, tomato paste, vinegar and lemon juice make the base for many meals.

Meats

Lamb (lahm) and chicken (dajaj) are the meats used most widely, followed by goat, fish and beef. The most popular style of cooking is to roast or braise the meats so that they retain flavour, which is kept as the predominant taste instead of the taste borrowed from an assortment of spices.

Breads and carbs

Various types of rice and breads (manakeesh, fatayer, pita, and khobz with olive oil and za’atar, to name a few) are the most common side dishes. Lentils, fava beans, chickpeas and kidney beans are widely used to make soups and stews.

Vegetables

Iraqis love their vegetables. Carrots, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, okra, olives, tomatoes and onions are eaten raw, steamed, baked or pickled.

Sweets and pastries

These include kanafa, baklava, basbousa and Om Ali ( their version of bread and butter pudding), and are made traditionally with  ingredients that include puff pastry, milk, butter, cream, cheese, cinnamon, orange and rose essences, and nuts. 

Fruit

Dried or fresh fruit, seeds and nuts are popular nibbles. Pomegranate, watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, peaches, oranges, nectarines, bananas, and apples are very popular since they are domestically produced and hence available at low prices. Dates, figs, apricots and plums are consumed fresh as well as dried. Almonds, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are often added to dishes while cooking or eaten as snacks. Sunflower, melon and pumpkin seeds are popular munchies.

Salads

Iraqi cuisine has an extensive assortment of salads, dressings, dips, pickles and sauces. Mezze platters can be used as appetisers, sides, or even as complete meals on their own, and these include fattoush, hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, kibbeh, kafta, smoked vegetables, and tabouleh (a refreshing salad made from bulgur and finely chopped parsley, mint, onion and tomatoes). The most popular dressings include various combinations of olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, za’atar, garlic and tahini (sesame paste). Labneh is seasoned with mint, onion, olives, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil and served as a refreshing dip with various dishes.

Dairy products

Yoghurt, buttermilk, cream, butter and a wide selection of cheese sit on the table as well as used in recipes.

Some popular Iraqi dishes

Baklava | a variety of chopped nuts dipped in sweet syrup and encased in flaky pastry with a honey dressing.

Dolma | stuffed vine leaves.

Falafel | chickpeas and herbs ground to a paste and fried. A falafel sandwich is stuffed with falafel, roasted eggplant, French fries, pickles and sauces.

Fattoush | a refreshing salad of finely chopped parsley, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onion, with a garlic, lemon and olive oil dressing and crunchy fried squares of pita for an added kick.

Harira | a thick tomato soup with beans and vegetables

Kibbeh | meatballs

Kleicha | biscuits with a date filling

Knafeh | a savoury cheese-filled pastry crust

Kofta | minced and spiced lamb or beef tender patties on sticks, usually baked

Manakeesh | a local version of pizza flatbread sprinkled with za’atar and toppings of your choice

Mansaf | a leg of tender lamb or large pieces of mutton, on a bed of yellow rice, all placed on top of a flatbread. The dish is garnished with yougurt sauce, pine nuts and almonds.

Shawarma | succulent chicken or lamb chunks slow-cooked next to a flame in their own fat, then wrapped in warm pita with salad, pickles and garlic sauce.

Shish kebab | skewered tender lamb kebabs with peppers, onions and tomatoes. Shish taouk is the same in chicken.

Tajine | a traditional Arab stew made with spices, herbs, meat, and vegetables.

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 19th, 2017