Dana Altajem is a 22-year-old medical student from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She started studying in Groningen three years ago, and she loves experimenting with food in her kitchen that she has all to herself. She inherited this passion from her father who has an infinite collection of cook books from all over the world. Today, she is cooking a dish commonly known in English as kebap, although Dana says that the Saudi Arabian kebap recipe is different from the ones found in Dutch restaurants.

Saudi Arabian Kebap
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Considerations: spicy, non-vegetarian

STEP 1
Prepare the minced meat in a bowl that is large enough to add the rest of ingredients later. Chop the onions, the chilis and the parsley and add them to the meat. Peel and chop two or three garlic cloves – you can choose how many to add depending how spicy you like your food. Add the garlic to the meat and season it with cumin, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl with your hands.

STEP 2
Shape the meat into medium-sized balls. Next, add olive oil to a pan and set the heat to medium high. Once you see bubbles, you can add the meatballs and fry them until the meat is fully cooked. The heat should not be too high so as to avoid burning the kebap, and they should be flipped every few minutes. Place the meatballs on a plate while preparing the tahin.

STEP 3
Mix two to three tablespoons of tahin paste with lemon juice and 200 ml of water. Stir well until you get a consistently creamy sauce. The last touch is to add a bit of salt and black pepper, as always depending on your own taste.

This dish can be complemented with a side salad or with rice. Now it’s your turn to enjoy this international recipe: bon appétit!

Did you like this recipe? Do you like cooking, too? If you are a RUG student, this is your chance to show off your culinary skills! Contact us at [email protected] with the name of the dish you’d like to make and your availability!