Mish Recipe

My grandmother - may her soul rest in peace - was the greatest cooker you could ever meet! As a kid, I have fond memories of her and the family gatherings at her house. I especially have warm memories of my grandmother’s kitchen and the tasty food that she used to prepare for us.

I can still remember my excitement once the summer break started because I knew I would spend longer periods at her house! As soon as school finished, I used to rush home to pack my clothes and head to her house! During the summer, all the family will meet at my grandparents house on Thursday evenings. My uncles and aunts with their husbands, all my cousins! The house will be filled with the smell of lovely food, loud laughter’s and the voice of us kids running all over the house.

I remember that as soon as we entered the house, we would kiss my grandmother and head straight towards the kitchen in pursuit of the Mish Jar! For us, the kids, Mish was the optimum prize… Mish sprinkled with some olive oil and dipped with toasted pita bread!!! It wouldn’t matter if we were hungry or full, the calling of the Mish was irresistible.

Mish is a dish that hails from Jaffa in Palestine. Jaffa is the hometown of my grandmother and the place where she learnt how to prepare Mish from her mother, who in turn learned how to prepare it from her mother. My mother will tell me that in the old days, her mother prepared mish using homemade white cheese soaked in milk and homemade green chili sauce. On special occasions my grandmother would prepare her entirely homemade version if Mish. It tasted amazing, the homemade cheese had a special unbeatable flavor!

Just like my grandmother learned to prepare Mish from her mother and grandmother, she taught us – the grandchildren - how to prepare Mish. One day I will teach my children how to prepare this very old traditional dish passed down through generations.

The portion below is large, so halve the ingredients for a smaller portion.  

Mish Recipe

Guest post prepared and submitted by Rania al Shurafa.

Preparation time: 15 min

Ingredients

2        kilos yoghurt (Greek style yoghurt)
2        large yellow lemons
2        tablespoons Hilbeh (Fenugreek) seeds
1        tablespoon red pepper chili sauce paste (add portion according to personal taste)
1        tablespoon salt (add to taste if needed)
1/2     kilo labaneh jarashieh (thick labaneh) OR double cream cheese

How to make Mish

Two days before:

• Cover the Hilbeh (Fenugreek) seeds with water and set aside for two days. This will soften the seeds.

Day of preparation:

• Mix the yogurt with the chili sauce and soaked hilbeh (Fenugreek) seeds.

• Mix the labeneh (or double cream cheese) with the salt.

• Finely chop the whole lemons (skin and fruit).

• Add the lemons to the yogurt mixture and mix.

• Put the yogurt mixture together with the labeneh into a large glass jar. Shake the jar well to mix both mixtures together.

Mish can be served immediately but it tastes much better the 2^nd day when the flavors have had the chance to unite.

Store in the fridge for up to two weeks (if it lasts that long!).

Hope you enjoyed today’s easy recipe: Mish; an authentic Middle Eastern appetizer.  Bon appetite.

اضغط الرابط لقراءة وصفة الميش باللغة العربية

Rania Al Shurafa'a: A mom of four adorable kids I feel that my kitchen is my haven where I forget myself in the heat of preparing different kinds of dishes. I often ask women from different nationalities for recipes of authentic dishes from their countries. My nose is programmed to sniff the smell of delicious food and on more than one occasion I have knocked the doors of my neighbors to ask them about the aromatic food they are cooking. My husband jokes that my nose will kill you one day! I use freshly grounded spices, so if you are preparing my dishes with packed spices, increase the portions a bit. Hope you will give my recipes a try.