Bringing Israeli cuisine into your home

Yes, yes, we’ve all heard it before, they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat. But there is a reason food sits at the centre of Jewish life. It is the language we speak before we have words for what we feel – on Shabbat, at the seder table, at a shiva.

And nowhere is this truer than in Israel, where the national cuisine is less a single tradition than a conversation between dozens: Yemeni flatbreads alongside Moroccan spiced fish, Persian herb frittatas next to Ashkenazi stuffed cabbage, all of it bound together by olive oil, tahini, and the extraordinary produce of the Middle Eastern sun.

Finding the ingredients

The good news for Australian Jews is that the building blocks of Israeli cooking are more accessible than ever. Tahini, za’atar, sumac, pomegranate molasses and dried chickpeas are now stocked by most large Coles and Woolworths supermarkets, as well as any Middle Eastern grocery store.

For specifically Israeli and kosher-certified products, Melbourne is exceptionally well-served. Kosher Kingdom at 482B Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick, is a licensed supermarket stocking imported Israeli wines, kosher pantry staples, and specialty products difficult to find elsewhere.

The Carlisle Street and Ripponlea precincts offer a cluster of options within walking distance of each other. See the JewishAustralia website.

In Sydney, Krinsky’s at 173-175 Bondi Road is a well-established kosher grocery carrying an extensive range of Israeli and imported products and is widely regarded as the premier destination for the community’s food shopping needs.

For those outside Melbourne and Sydney, Benedikt Imports is the largest importer of kosher food in Australia and the biggest supplier to major supermarket chains, and is the sole Australian agent for Osem, Israel’s leading food manufacturer. Their products – including Osem couscous, soup croutons, and bamba – appear on supermarket shelves across the country.

Two recipes to begin with

Of the hundreds of dishes that have earned Israel its reputation as one of the world’s most exciting food cultures, two stand apart as entry points for the home cook: shakshuka, the egg-and-tomato dish that has conquered breakfast menus worldwide, and hummus, which in its Israeli form bears little resemblance to the pallid supermarket variety most Australians know. Both require minimal equipment, modest cost and deliver results far exceeding their simplicity.

Shakshuka
(Serves 4)

This is Friday morning food, late-night food, any-time-there-are-eggs-in-the-fridge food. It originates in North African Jewish cooking and arrived in Israel with the waves of Mizrahi immigration that shaped the country’s character. Serve it straight from the pan with crusty bread.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 6 eggs
• fresh parsley or coriander to serve

METHOD:
Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and capsicum for 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and spices and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, season well, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Using a spoon, make six wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each. Cover the pan and cook for 5–8 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Scatter with herbs and serve immediately.

Hummus from scratch
(Serves 6-8 as a dip)

Israeli hummus bears almost no resemblance to the commercial product. It is silky, warm, savoury, and eaten as a meal in its own right – topped with whole chickpeas, olive oil and paprika, with fresh pita alongside. The secret is patience with the blending.

• 500g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 180g good-quality tahini
• juice of 2 lemons
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1½ tsp salt
• cold water as needed
• olive oil, paprika and whole cooked chickpeas to serve

METHOD:
Drain the soaked chickpeas. Bring to a boil in fresh water with the bicarbonate of soda, then simmer for 60–90 minutes until completely tender — they should crush between your fingers with no resistance. Reserve the cooking liquid. Blend the warm chickpeas in a food processor for two full minutes before adding anything else. Then add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and blend for another three minutes, adding cold water tablespoon by tablespoon until the hummus is pale, smooth and just pourable. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm on a flat plate, topped with a pool of olive oil, a dusting of paprika, and a handful of whole chickpeas.