19 November, 2015

Zingol

Posted in : Recipes, Vegan only, Vegetarian & Vegan main Dishes on November 19, 2015 by : el Meza Tags: delicious lebanese recipe, lebanese stew, lebanese vegan, lebanese vegetarian, low-fat lebanese food, meilleure recette de zingol, met libanais, soupe libanaise, the best lebanese recipes, zengol, zengoll, zenqol, zingo, zingoll, zinkol

ZINGOL – Tangy Vegan Stew with Burghul Balls and Chickpeas

This is a special recipe given to me by sweet Sister Michelle from  St-Vincent school, Besançon, in Baskinta Lebanon. Thank you Sister Michelle and special thanks to dearest Sister Jeanne Gangboro and Mother Badria!

Here you have the opportunity to experience an authentic very old lebanese dish called Zingol!

When Sister Michelle told me about Zingol, I had never heard of it before! Even though my grandma used to cook every single lebanese dish, she missed that one for sure! My surprise was greater when I asked my father about it and he told me what it was! When he described it to me, it was exactly as Sister Michelle’s recipe! Seems that this vegan dish is very old and was usually made on Lent time and on fridays. The burghul is it’s main ingredient and it’s a sort of tangy stew with a dried mint aroma!

Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1  1/2 cups (250 grams) of burghul (any grade)
• Lukewarm water for soaking
• 1/2 cup (80 grams) of flour
• 1 cup (250 grams) of cooked chickpeas
• 2 tbsp of salt or to taste
• 3 tbsp of dried mint or to taste
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar (to taste, depending on how tangy you like it)
• 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups (1,4 liters) of boiling water

Preparation

Soak the burghul in a bowl for about 15 minutes covering it generously with lukewarm water.

Drain well and add the flour and half the salt (1 tbsp). Knead together and shape into olive-sized balls. Set aside.

Put 2 tbsp of olive oil in a very large pot over medium heat, then add the onions and sauté till golden. Add the minced garlic and sauté a little more.

Add the chickpeas, stirring them altogether. Add the burghul balls and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir lightly.

 

 

Pour in the boiling water very carefully and the extra virgin olive oil. Add the remaining salt. Stir briefly then cover and leave to simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat.

Add the dried mint.

Serve hot or lukewarm with a yogurt cucumber salad.

Bon appétit!