• Hacan on May 16, 2026

  I really love this book. I have a lot of books with recipes from this part of the world so wasn’t sure what it would bring that was different, but so far every single thing I’ve made has been so delicious that I’ve kept going. One of the best recipe books I’ve bought in a long time.

• DebCooks on February 04, 2026

  Love this book! Every recipe I’ve made is unique with layers of flavors. Challenging recipes that are well worth the effort. My favorite cookbook from the last year of books I’ve cooked from.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Machboos

  • Katie on January 04, 2026

    Really good as a side with roast lamb, and with some cucumber yogurt. I think on its own I might want a bit more flavor.

• Baked lamb koftas with peppers, feta and oregano

  • KarinaFrancis on April 27, 2025

    This was delicious! I was unsure about taking all of the moisture out of the tomato and onion, but I shouldn’t doubt Noor the koftas were soft and moist. I had it with Lebanese rice and Noor’s cucumber yogurt. It would also be nice with some nice spongy bread.

  • anna_1bxel8 on February 15, 2026

    Delicious. Needed about 20 minutes more time in the oven.

• 'Cheese and olives': halloumi with spicy olives and walnuts

  • meggan on May 07, 2026

    For some reason my halloumi melted but we also subbed in some firm tofu and this was very interesting and tasty as a side dish.

• Beaten chicken and rice (Mathrooba)

  • DebCooks on February 15, 2026

    This was a phenomenal dish! Time consuming to make, as many of the recipes in this cookbook are, but well worth it. The topping is key, though I used dried red peppers rather than fresh.

• Arabic baked beans

  • mmdiablotine on September 05, 2025

    Comfort food at its best. Not complicated. I had just 1 can of cannellini so i put also a can of garbanzo with it and it did the job. I put cherry tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes and didn’t bother boil it and discard the skins and it was good. Teens liked it a lot. The topping is delicious but even without it, it would be good.

  • Ganga108 on October 17, 2025

    I am cooking without most dairy atm, but recipes like these have good underlying flavours. It can be made just on the stove-top if making without the cheese. Nutritional yeast can be added when serving for a cheesy taste. Also good made with black beans. Another recipe link https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2025/04/09/arabic-baked-beans

  • DebCooks on February 15, 2026

    Really good, however there was quite a bit of liquid, next time I will cut back on the amount of water added.

• Bottom of the pot chicken and rice (Fega'ata)

  • DavidLindsay on February 15, 2026

    Delicious but my first attempt was definitely too wet.

• Loomi lemon chicken

  • KarinaFrancis on April 13, 2025

    This was great! I love black lime and the flavour of the rub is delicious, next time I might slash the chicken to get more of the flavour in there. The yogurt is excellent too.

  • Livia on April 27, 2025

    This was amazing and a definite repeat

  • ebawden on September 22, 2025

    Sensational. Might use the marinade on chicken thighs for ease next time and see how that turns out. I can’t have lots of garlic but husband can, and he absolutely delighted in the garlic/lemon/yoghurt dip situation.

  • DebCooks on March 10, 2026

    Great recipe! I might put the chicken under the broiler next time to crisp up the skin!l. The yoghurt was great!

• Eggs and tomatoes (Baith oo tamat)

  • DavidLindsay on February 08, 2026

    Quick and delicious with good tomatoes

• Ful with chickpeas and tahini

  • Livia on April 27, 2025

    Made with pinto as didn't have cava to hand. Loved the spicing and will definitely make again. Next time I would just chop the tomatoes and double the amount of tomato

• Onion and potato frittata with charred pepper salsa

  • snackbaby on June 20, 2025

    this takes some time, but is very relaxed to make and tastes absolutely delightful and comforting. served with the spring fattoush

  • DebCooks on January 13, 2026

    A hearty frittata with a some heat given the jalapeño and green pepper salsa. The time investment of making the dish is worthwhile; the frittata delivers complex flavors, is satisfying, and the accompanying tomato and red onion salad was a great complement. The yogurt in the frittata creates a creamy texture; you could use sour cream if need be.

• Cheesy leek and za'atar fatayer

  • Katie on January 04, 2026

    They’re so much bigger than I expected! Really delicious, even with normal fresh mozzarella instead of buffalo. Love the quantity of za’atar.

  • lhaddad7 on January 17, 2026

    This is a huge hit in our house that I make regularly. The leeks give great flavor.

• Chickpea and bread soup with roasted garlic and coriander

  • Lsblackburn1 on December 30, 2025

    I doubled this so I could use the whole bag (1 lb) of my Rancho Gordo black garbanzo beans. I soaked the beans for about 5 hours and then cooked them for about 1 1/2 hours. I probably should have let them cook a bit longer - they were on the al dente side. This is really flavorful and interesting! It’s tangy from the yogurt and lemon juice, funky from the roasted garlic topping.

  • DebCooks on January 27, 2026

    Wow! This was an amazing soup. Delicious, unique and hearty. I used the Rancho Gordo chickpeas and soaked them for about 5 hours. The roasted garlic topping makes the dish. I used parsley instead of cilantro and it still tasted great.

• Nourishing herb and barley soup

  • Livia on April 27, 2025

    Loved it, this is just pure comfort

  • DebCooks on January 28, 2026

    Wow! Packed full of fiber, and flavor! A hearty soup that doesn’t scream ‘healthy’ even though it is. I used chicken broth which gave the soup a rich flavor.

• Steamed carrots with harissa onions and herbs

  • KarinaFrancis on June 14, 2025

    Wow who knew that steamed carrots could be so good! The dressing is the perfect mix of tangy, sweet, spices and herbs. Perfect for having people over because it needs to marinate for at least an hour.

  • snackbaby on September 01, 2025

    delicious! served leftovers the next day with bulgur, shatta and feta.

  • brynapg on September 05, 2025

    Very tasty - will make again!

  • Katie on January 02, 2026

    Tried with feta and pistachio, and my itself — both very tasty! It makes a lot (I think would easily work for 8-10 as part of a bigger meal).

  • jazminlui on April 07, 2026

    Fresh and unique take on carrots, although a bit spicy. Pretty easy to make.

• Cauliflower mutabal

  • Katie on January 04, 2026

    So good. It really does thicken as it cools so be patient there. I love the texture with the chopped cauliflower vs blended. The only thing I disagree with is needing to eat it day of. We ate some day of and some a day later and they were equally good to me.

• A herby leafy salad

  • Stephenn31 on February 28, 2026

    A quick and herbal salad. I had a mix of fresh and dried herbs in winter but it was still nice

• Springtime fattoush

  • snackbaby on June 20, 2025

    fresh and super tasty. replaced celery with cucumber.

• Ginger peaches [salad]

  • snackbaby on August 06, 2025

    !!! this BLEW my mind with how good this was. made with white peaches. served with flatbread and halloumi, it is a fantastic summer dish.

  • Potawatomus on March 15, 2026

    This came together so easily! Would make again!

• Cucumber yoghurt

  • KarinaFrancis on April 27, 2025

    Regular cucumber yogurt salad gets a glow up. Worth the extra effort.

  • Katie on January 04, 2026

    Really nice upgrade to my normal cucumber and yogurt. I usually grate cucumber but really liked it in cubes (works with english cucumber if you don’t have Lebanese). I didn’t have rose petals but did have a random tiny turnip from my garden, so “substituted” that (realize nothing in common but color, but hey, it was good).

  • Bstand57 on January 08, 2026

    Parsley oil is a must

  • Stephenn31 on March 16, 2026

    Nice dish. I served it sort of like a salad, but would be great on anything that needs yogurt too.

• Hot and sweet potatoes (Batata harra oo helwa)

  • KarinaFrancis on April 13, 2025

    I’m sure it would have been better if I achieved caramelisation on the sweet potato but it was pretty delicious anyway. The flavours work beautifully. Update: I made it again and achieved the caramelised edges, even better than last time.

• Charred courgettes with saffron, kefir and sticky onions

  • snackbaby on August 06, 2025

    beautiful, complex tasting dip. has quite a few components but def. worth making!

• Pan-fried tomatoes with za'atar, pine nuts and halloumi

  • KarinaFrancis on May 03, 2025

    These were so tasty and the star of our aperitivo. I used 5 tomatoes and was able to do it in one batch. The flavour of the tomatoes was concentrated by the frying and the topping was the perfect complement. I’ll definitely make these again

  • DebCooks on February 28, 2026

    Loved this! Stunning dish and delicious. The caramelizing of the tomatoes took a good 12 minutes with medium heat. Could cut back on pine nuts next time.

• Roasted broccoli salad with lime and chilli dressing and Bombay mix

  • KarinaFrancis on April 08, 2025

    My first recipe from this book and it’s off to a great start! I didn’t have poppyseed or curry leaves but still really enjoyed this as a warm salad as we head into autumn.

• Baby aubergines with tomato and pepper salsa

  • snackbaby on August 06, 2025

    got a bit unlucky here as the baby aubergines I got were BITTER (i.e more bitter than any aubergine I ever tasted and quite difficult to eat). salsa was bright and exciting though, I can imagine this makes a delightful little appetizer/mezze.

• Watermelon salad with cucumber, red onion and ricotta salata

  • ALawson25 on April 28, 2025

    This was a good recipe, would make again in summer. Doesn’t keep well because of the excess water from the watermelon so make just ahead

• Sesame beets with charred spring onions

  • KarinaFrancis on November 03, 2025

    Really nice side dish or mezze, made in a few minutes if you use vacuum packed beets. The charred spring onions don’t add that much, next time I’d just chop them and sprinkle them on as garnish.

• Herby meatball rice with kohlrabi and pistachio slaw

  • DebCooks on February 04, 2026

    Flavorful and a stunning looking dish! I made the slaw along with the rice and meatballs—it took a good 2+ hours from start to finish, but it’s well worth it. I might reduce the rice by about a quarter next time. It would be even better with a tzatziki on the side. Delicious!

• Vermicelli chicken and rice with cardamom and cinnamon

  • Katie on January 02, 2026

    Amazing flavor profile, and came together pretty easily for something that feels this specials. I don’t love to cook on nonstick so used a staub and it worked well, but the tahdig wasn’t as crispy as I could have hoped. That may have been because I had a bit too much water — next time I’d reduce a tiny bit.

• Date molasses rice with fish (Muhammar oo samak)

  • KarinaFrancis on May 09, 2026

    Omg this was amazing! It’s a perfect balance of flavours between the rice, the fish and the pickle. I would never have thought to add date molasses to rice, but it works beautifully and the pickle makes everything sing. It’s not a quick and easy meal, but totally worth the effort!

• A very green lasagne with fresh chilli sauce

  • SarahL on February 06, 2026

    A great twist on lasagna, with a mix of spiced greens and rich and tangy cheeses. The ratios worked well. It took a bit of effort but was well worth it!

  • anna_1bxel8 on April 07, 2026

    Delicious. Used bell pepper instead of chile for the tomato sauce. Used paneer, well salted, instead of halloumi cheese.

• Bahraini dal

  • DebCooks on January 05, 2026

    Wow! This is a keeper recipe. Rich and delicious. I served it over rice, but it could also be served alone with pita bread. I used dry red chiles which still worked well.

• Burnt aubergines with fenugreek sauce, tahini and fried shallots

  • pizzabattery on April 19, 2026

    Delish dish. I grilled / broiled the aubergines, instead of cooking over flame. The fenugreek added such a complex flavour

• Doh piazeh roast potatoes

  • Bstand57 on January 08, 2026

    Great, lightly spiced roasties

• Grilled green beans with lemon and feta

  • KarinaFrancis on April 02, 2026

    I loved this, the flavours work really well together and its really easy if you're already doing something on the BBQ. I did cut back on the charred lemon. The Silver Fox thought the beans needed more cooking, since he did that part, I feel its on him to cook them more, I like a bit of crunch on my beans.

• Hot sauce chickpeas with turmeric potatoes

  • Stephenn31 on January 15, 2026

    I really enjoyed this, even though it made a lot of dishes dirty (I also made chickpeas from dried with the Instant Pot). Great flavours otherwise and pretty simple. I didn't roast/ add hot red chilis to the sauce, but instead let people add siracha to their spice tolerance when the dish was served. Excellent.

  • Livia on March 15, 2026

    Loved this. Used jar roasted peppers and worked well.

• Macarona Béchamel

  • pizzabattery on March 31, 2026

    Deliciously comforting. I would also make the aubergine filling to have with rice / bulgur.

• Mujadara with yoghurt and Shirazi salad

  • ALawson25 on May 11, 2025

    A very nice side for the lamb dish. The garlic yoghurt was essential!

• Potato and sour spinach galette

  • katie_gbugor on March 14, 2026

    Absolutely delicious! I only had 150g of baby spinach, so added feta which worked well.

• Sautéed greens with yoghurt, fried onions and turmeric oil

  • KarinaFrancis on May 04, 2025

    Vintage Noor! Yes a bit more complicated than some sautéed on a bed of yogurt, but definitely worth the extra effort. I only used chard and spinach because they are the greens I like and I kept the stalks in. Not an easy weeknight side, but one I’ll make again when time isn’t pressing.

• Tomato bulgur with charred courgettes

  • ALawson25 on September 21, 2025

    I think I possibly did something wrong, but it felt like way too much liquid. I would halve the liquid next time! Otherwise it was nice, and I added feta to make it a complete meal.

  • Stephenn31 on March 16, 2026

    Fairly simple dish. The charred zucchini had some nice flavour. Definitely serve with yogurt (I served it with the cucumber and yogurt dip in the book instead of a salad).

• Chicken koftas with fresh tomato sauce

  • Astrid5555 on April 20, 2025

    These are delicious, even though I made a big mistake and did not add the prepared tomatoes to the bowl with the chicken mince. I only realized it after preparing the koftas, so I used the tomato mixture and the tomatoe juices instead of the water to simmer the koftas in, and it worked perfectly! A definite keeper!

  • KarinaFrancis on May 31, 2025

    These were fantastic! The koftas were more flavourful than I was expecting but that sauce was outstanding! Definitely a repeat

  • ethan_it6z0e on February 13, 2026

    (Didn’t make it on January 12th, but it was early January). I’ve made these twice, and I will say the only thing that I didn’t love was the caraway. It’s one of those flavours you either love or hate and I’m not a fan. So I swapped it out the second time I made it for cumin and was thrilled. Awesome recipe! (Pomegranate molasses is a revelation)

  • Stephenn31 on February 16, 2026

    Delicious. It looks like a lot of steps, but they all play together. The fresh tomato sauce on top was great. I added a bit of aleppo pepper to the fresh sauce at the end for a bit of head. Great with pita and yogurt/cucumber.

  • SarahL on February 28, 2026

    These were excellent! It took several steps, but it was worth it. The koftas were light and juicy, and the pomegranate molasses made for a great, tangy coating on the koftas. I also loved the addition of caraway. Worked very well with garlic yogurt on the side.

• Pistachio cake with labneh cream and kataifi

  • RCL on May 08, 2025

    Really great cake. Tasted and looked fab. I used the shredded filo as I wasn't able to source kataifi. Would definitely make again.

  • DebCooks on February 02, 2026

    This is a delicious, gorgeous cake! The frosting is divine — creamy and not overly sweet. I didn’t need to bake the topping for as long as the recipe stated— about half the time. Also the butter in the topping clumped with the phylo pastry, I might eliminate it next time, and there will be a next time!

• Slow-cooked fenugreek lamb with pickled chillies

  • ALawson25 on May 11, 2025

    A very nice recipe, time consuming but worth making. Served with the Mujadara with yoghurt and Shirazi salad and I thought they went very well together.

• White bean and lamb stew (Fasoolia bi lahme)

  • Ben.cutler on May 27, 2025

    I really liked this - I had it with vermicelli rice. I also made it in my instant pot and pressure cooked it for 40 mins instead of baking for 90 mins

  • katewalton on May 02, 2026

    Surprisingly bland. Will try again.

• Cauliflower with warm yoghurt and paprika butter (Zahra bilaban)

  • SarahL on November 18, 2025

    Wasn’t crazy about the yogurt sauce with Parmesan, but the dish was beautiful and loved the mix of flavors and textures.

  • Schooffiecooks on February 21, 2026

    Made a very simple version of this recipe. Just mixed all the spices and herbs into yoghurt, spread it on a plate. Added the roasted cauliflower on top, together with feta, koriander, mint and cranberries. We loved it!

• Dates with tahini, chilli and salt

  • Katie on January 04, 2026

    A nice little dessert, or could be a sweet app.

• Chicken and vegetable stew (Saloonat dajaj)

  • shelbstirr on February 24, 2026

    I might actually like this better without a scoop of rice than with. Fairly easy to make.

  • Stephenn31 on February 28, 2026

    I served with bread but it would be better with rice. I skipped the pumpkin and went with zucchini which I added in the last 30 min so it wouldn’t get too soft

• Salmon harra

  • Hacan on April 24, 2026

    Really delicious but I think 8 minutes is exceptionally short a time to cook salmon in the oven, I put it in for about 14 and it was perfect. The sauce is really really yummy.