Dear Derek,
This is the recipe of how to cook RISHTA.
Ingredients:
2 pounds (1 Kilo) white flower
2 pounds (1 Kilo) Lamb or beef meat
1 Egg
Water
1 medium onion
2 spoons ghee or olive oil
2 spoons tomato paste
½ small spoon cinnamon
½ small spoon turmeric
½ small spoon all spice
½ small spoon salt
½ small spoon red pepper
½ pound (¼ kilo) garbanzo beans (hummus) (prior to cooking soak the garbanzos in water over night) or use ready garbanzos in cans
Rose water (optional)
Directions:
Preparing the dough and the noodles (Rishda)
1- Sift the flower and mix with the egg, salt, and add a little bet of water at a time and continue to mix till you form a medium soft dough.
2- On a soft clean large surface such as the top of a wooden or marble counter, sprinkle a little flower and place the dough on it and sprinkle more flower on the face of the dough then knead with a wooden roller till you form a very thin round pizza shape like.
3- Sprinkle a thin layer of flower on the round dough then role the dough by starting with forming a small tube and keep rolling till all the dough is formed into a multi layer tube.
4- Sprinkle a little of flower over the dough , then with a sharp knife cut into a very thin slices (like the angel hair pasta), or very thin noodles.
5- Get rid of the extra flower of the noodles through a strainer.
Cooking:
You need a top and bottom steamer
1- Slice the onions into rings, cut the meat into the desired size pieces and in the bottom pan of the steamer cook in ghee or olive oil till the meat turns brown.
2- Add the tomato paste, turmeric, all spice, red pepper and cook for a 3 to 5 minutes, then add the garbanzos with 2 cups of water to the mix.
3- In the top steamer (a pan with tiny holes in the bottom of it) coat the surface of it with gee or olive oil and fit it tightly on the top of the pan place the noodles (rishda) in it and cook with the top steamer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4- Take down the steamer and pour the noodles (rishda) into a wide bowl and sprinkle on it a little water, a pinch of all spice, a pinch of turmeric and a spoon rose water, then dip your hands in cold water and fluff the noodles (rishda) till is all separated ( no longer sticking together)
5- Put the noodle (rishda) back in the steamer and cook again for another 20 to 25 minutes, or till the noodles (rishda) is fully cooked.
6- With a large fork fluff the noodles (rishda) and add it to several bowls for the number of people you’re serving and pour the sauce with the desired pieces of meat over each bowl like you do with spaghetti sauce.
7- Sprinkle all spice over each bowl (if desired), and serve with forks. (some like to sprinkle, cinnamon or raisins or both)
Kind regards,
Mohamed
