Snack on this in Spring
Today I’m sharing a popular Lebanese bakery cum street-food called man’oushe (prounounced “man-oo-she”). I was first introduced to man’oushe living in Brunswick East where a funky Lebanese bakery opened up around the corner which then lead me to explore the insanely popular A1 Bakery on Sydney Road. Fluffy slightly-chewy wood fired oven baked flat bread topped with an assortment of toppings, laden only as the Italians will do with traditional pizza; lighlty with the focus on quality ingredients.
My favourite man’oushe is the vegetarian for it’s zesty fresh take; a requisite slather of hummous, topped with crispy cucumber, tomato, olives, thinly sliced yellow onion and generous lashings of za’atar (oregnano + sumac + sesame seed seasoning) and handfuls of fresh mint. The whole thing is then rolled up and eaten like a souvlaki. Other variations include “Sbanikh” - spinach leaves, onion, lemon and sumac, folded into a triangle shape.
Man’oushe fed me for many weekends and I was so grateful for healthy, take away that I miss dearly so have endeavoured to make my own. Considering that when I breakdown the ingredients this is an all too perfect dish for Spring:
Mint is classic Chinese medicine herb for cooling and regulating the Liver Qi, which is all too stirred up during Spring with it’s insidious wind and fickle weather.
Oregano and onion are classic fumigators of parasites. No need to do harsh parasitic cleanses (these should only be performed when more gentle methods don’t work for chronic and serious imbalances). The best way to keep the body in balance and parasites in check is to regularly intake foods that target anti-parasidic and anti-fungal action. Spring is the perfect time to make a conscious effort to fumigate the body gently without further stirring up the Liver.
I love how traditional cuisines utilise what nature provides to naturally aid the body and with the right timing!
Here’s the recipe I used from Saveur, serves 4:
For the dough
3 1⁄2 cups flour
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
7g sachet of active dry yeast
1 tbsp. olive oil
For the Filling
Good quality hummus
1⁄4 cup za’atar (available from international grocers)
olive oil for brushing
1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced
1 medium tomato, cored and finely sliced
1 medium sized cucumber, sliced into battons
black olives, pips removed (or you can used the traditional pickled turnip)
1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the dough: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
Stir together yeast and 1 1⁄4 cups lukewarm water in a small bowl, and let sit until foamy - about 10 minutes.
Add yeast mixture to flour, along with oil, and stir until a dough forms. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a lightly floured bowl and cover with a clean damp tea towel. Let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch down dough and divide into four and knead each into a ball.
Place balls on a floured, parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with damp tea-towel. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Heat a 12″ cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 ball of dough at a time, transfer to a work surface and roll into a 10″ circle; brush with oil and add to skillet, oiled side down, and brush top with oil. Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 2–3 minutes.
Layer your flatbread with a generous amount of hummus and za'atar then top with onion, tomato, cucumber, olives and handfuls of fresh mint leaves. Roll up or fold in half to serve immediately.
