Lugma: Abundant Dishes and Stories from My Middle East

“Lugma” means “a bite” in Arabic. Here, Noor Murad, who collaborated with Yotam Ottolenghi on two previous books, showcases Middle Eastern home cooking, particularly from her native Bahrain and the surrounding Persian Gulf. It’s different perspective than in Middle Eastern books which are more closely linked to the Mediterranean. 

As Murad says, “it pulls on different cultural influences: on the abundance of herbs, dried limes, and sour flavors from Iran; on the liberal spice and chilli heat from India; on the elaborate rice dishes that the region is so famous for…”

Murad’s offerings are sometimes traditional, sometimes adapted in the style you might expect of a cook who’s lived in London and world with Ottolenghi. Some very appealing examples:

• Balaleet: a breakfast dish of sweet noodles and salty eggs, seasoned with cardamom, saffron, turmeric, and scallions

• Kebab Nekh-y: chickpea and vegetable fritters with mango pickle

• Mathrooba; chicken and rice beaten into a savory pudding seasoned with ginger, coriander, dried lime, and more

• Sweet date and sour tamarind sea bass

Fresh and interesting, especially so given the abundance of Middle Eastern books which shed little new light.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.