New friendships and memories of childhood meals have made me hungry for “home” cooking. These days I look at ingredients and think of Middle Eastern dishes. Today I have decided to make Uroug. These fritters were so tempting to me as a kid that I often got in trouble for sneaking them when mom wasn’t looking. He would make a big batch and cool them on a wire rack and I’d sneak in, take a fritter and top it with Amaba “picked mangoes”, a slice of tomato and then top it with another fritter, like the Uroug sandwich. So you can see why mom could never make enough of these when I was around.
Uroug is a fritter made up of meat and vegetables mixed with dough and then fried like patties. Hence the name Kabab Tawa or meat patties cooked in a pan. Recipes for Urug vary from one family to another. Some make it with ground lamb, others make it with finely chopped beef. They are traditionally prepared for dinner or during Suhoor (breakfast before dawn during the Ramadan fast). Leftovers can also be crumbled and mixed with egg for breakfast.
Uroug or Kabab Tawa
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or finely chopped meat (beef or lamb) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh or dried parsley 1/2 cup water or broth 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon baharat-7 spice 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil for frying
In a large bowl, mix meat, onion, tomato, parsley, egg, spices, and tomato paste. Add the flour, baking powder, and water, then mix well to combine.
Knead with your fingers. The final dough is small on the soft side. Add a little more flour if the dough is too runny. It should be similar to thick pancake batter.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Carefully drop a couple of tablespoons (2 tablespoons should be enough to form a patty) into the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown, flip and cook the other side another minute.
Remove and drain the fried uroug on a rack lined with a paper towel.
These fritters cook quickly. Serve with slices of tomato, onion, chives, chopped parsley and gherkins or amaba.
I know this isn’t your traditional Christmas fair, but if you’re looking for something different to add to your table, you should try these fritters. I think you will love them. They are similar to Indian pakoras.
wake up!
Cook’s Note: This recipe makes about 20 medium fritters or 40 small fritters. This dough keeps well in the refrigerator overnight; you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of warm water to loosen the dough.