Sumac, cumin, paprika, and pepper are the primary spices in this hearty soup. I served it with lemon wedges, sliced red onion, and crisp potato dosi. I'll be serving it again, with a dollop of sour cream and thin-sliced leeks.
I fried aloo dosi, a fermented rice crepe, and enjoyed them with the soup. When I made these, I shredded raw potato, broiled it with olive oil and spices, then crumbled it over the top of the dosi as it was being cooked. Much like a thin pancake, I flipped it over and continued frying.
For breakfast, I filled potato dosi with stir-fried veggies.Over the holiday I purchased "Saha - a chef's journey through Lebanon and Syria" by Greg and Lucy Malouf. (I had a 50% off coupon.) In the forward, Anthony Bourdain writes: "There is, perhaps, no major world cuisine as unexplored, unsung, underexposed, unappreciated or as inexplicably under-represented as Lebanese cooking."
I had a chance to enjoy quite a few Lebanese meals while on Pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel, and was determined I'd buy a cookbook if the right one came along - something with gorgeous photographs, a tasteful layout, and abundant text with the recipes. This book is just that, beautifully done.
