Stuffed Swiss Chard Leaves
MAHSHI SILQ BI ZAYT
- 3 lbs. Swiss chard
- 1 1/4 cups rice
- 1/2 cup hummus (chick peas) (nuts may be substituted)
- 3/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 1/2 cup minced scallions
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice *
- 1 tomato, sliced
- Several garlic cloves
- Several small white onions
This dish is similar to the stuffed vine leaves but more zesty. Remove
chard stems. Soften leaves by dipping one at a time in boiling, salted
water for a minute. Drain and pile in deep dish while preparing
stuffing. Wash and drain rice. Crack hummus (which has been
soaked overnight) with rolling pin. Discard skins which come off
during rolling. Mix rice, hummus (or nuts), parsley, mint,
chopped onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, cinnamon, oil and most of the
lemon juice or sammak water (see footnote). Reserve small
amount of lemon juice to sprinkle on chard rolls near end of
cooking. Stuff one leaf at a time using a heaping teaspoonful of
stuffing. Fold up from bottom over stufling and fold in from each side
to center; then roll up like a cigar. Place in layers with open end
down in pressure cooker, over the sliced tomatoes, onions and
garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice or sammak water and half teaspoon
salt over top layer. Pour in water to cover. Cook under pressure 15
minutes. Uncover and simmer to reduce sauce. Turn out onto serving
platter. Serve cold. Cook these without pressure if
preferred. Prepare as above. Cook gently in covered pan until stuffing
is done - probably about 45 minutes.
* Sammak water is often substituted for lemon
juice. It is an infusion of locally obtained sammak (sumac) seeds and
water. It is somewhat more astringent tasting than lemon juice.
(From Food from the Arab World Marie
Karam Khayat and Margaret Clark Keatinge, Khayat's, Beirut 1959)
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