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Hindbeh
Hindbeh bi zeit: Lebanese wilted dandelion greens with olive oil, lemon and crisp fried onions
Each spring, people in the Lebanese hills go out with a knife and a bag to gather wild chicory and dandelion for hindbeh, a Lenten favourite in Christian homes and a regular on mezze tables all year. The bitter greens are blanched, squeezed and fried with garlic in olive oil, then piled with a tangle of deeply browned, crisp onions and served with lemon wedges. The bitterness, the sweetness of the onions and the sharp lemon balance each other, and it is eaten at room temperature with bread. Cultivated dandelion or curly endive from a greengrocer works well. Common mistake: not squeezing the greens dry; water stops them frying and dilutes the oil. Chef's tip: fry the onions slowly and pull them out a shade lighter than you want — they keep darkening on the paper.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add half of ½ tsp salt and the 2 ¼ lb dandelion greens or curly endive and blanch for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain and cool under cold water.
6 minStep 2: Squeeze the greens hard in handfuls until no more water runs out. Chop roughly.
Step 3: Heat 3 ½ tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 2 onions, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes until deep brown and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.
18 minStep 4: Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the onion oil. Fry 3 cloves garlic for 30 seconds, then add the greens and the rest of ½ tsp salt and toss for 4–5 minutes until hot and glossy.
5 minStep 5: Take off the heat, squeeze over the juice from half the 1 lemon and drizzle with the rest of 2 ½ tbsp olive oil. Pile onto a plate, top with the crisp onions and serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hindbeh take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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