A Mosaic of Flavor: Three Dishes from Iraq – Maqluba, Kubba and Falafel

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This monthly series is a collaboration with the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.  Our April instructor will be Sahar Al-Samarrae, who came to Vermont from Iraq in 2014.  Throughout her years of struggle, Sahar says she always found comfort in cooking: “When I was happy I would cook. When I was sad I would cook.”  After moving to America, she discovered that cooking Iraqi food also helped her with feelings of homesickness. Sahar is also a graduate of the Community Kitchen Academy and received her certificate in September of 2017. First, we will make Maqluba, a traditional Arab dish that translates to “upside-down,” made of beef or chicken, rice, and fried vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and eggplant) cooked in a pot which is then flipped over onto a platter. The second dish, Kubba, is a bulgur or potato dough that is stuffed with a ground meat mixture, often hand shaped like an egg, sometimes flattened like a croquette, then either boiled, baked, or deep fried.  The final dish we will make will be Falafel.  This is a deep fried ball, doughnut, or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. It is served in flatbread, topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with a Tahini sauce.