Middle Eastern Cooking with Kids

Easy Baba Ghanoush

Baba ghanoush is a creamy eggplant dip found in different forms in the eastern Mediterranean and surrounding areas. Roasting the eggplant until very soft gives the dip its smooth texture and roasted flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for serving if desired
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
• Pinch of ground cumin, optional
• Pita wedges or fresh vegetables, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Wash the eggplant and pierce it several times with a fork.
3. Place the eggplant on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Adult Step: Roast for about 40-50 minutes, or until the eggplant is very soft and the skin has wrinkled.
5. Allow the eggplant to cool until it is safe to handle.
6. Cut the eggplant open and scoop the soft flesh into a bowl. Discard the skin.
7. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and cumin if using.
8. Mash well with a fork for a more textured dip, or blend until smoother.
9. Taste and adjust the lemon juice or salt if needed.
10. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pita wedges or fresh vegetables.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can measure the tahini and lemon juice, scoop cooled eggplant from the skin and help mash the ingredients together.

Easy Homemade Hummus

Hummus is a creamy chickpea and tahini dip with many variations. It is widely eaten in the Middle East and has particularly strong connections with food traditions of the eastern Mediterranean and Levant.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2-4 tablespoons cold water, as needed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional for serving
• Smoked or sweet paprika, optional for garnish
• Fresh vegetables or pita bread, for serving

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor or blender.
3. Adult Supervision: Blend until the ingredients begin to form a smooth paste.
4. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and continue blending until the hummus reaches the consistency you like.
5. Taste and add a little more lemon juice or salt if needed.
6. Spoon into a serving bowl.
7. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika if desired.
8. Serve with pita bread or fresh vegetables.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can drain and rinse the chickpeas, measure the ingredients and arrange vegetables for dipping. An adult should supervise the food processor or blender.

Fresh Parsley & Bulgur Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a fresh herb salad associated especially with Lebanese and Syrian food traditions and other parts of the Levant. Parsley is the star of the salad, with tomato, bulgur, lemon and olive oil adding flavor and texture.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat
• 1/2 cup hot water, or enough to prepare the bulgur according to package directions
• 2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large tomato, finely diced
• 1/2 cucumber, finely diced
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, optional
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Romaine lettuce leaves, optional for serving

Directions

1. Prepare the bulgur according to the package directions. If using fine bulgur, it may only need to soak in hot water until tender.
2. Drain away any extra water and allow the bulgur to cool.
3. Wash and dry the parsley thoroughly.
4. Finely chop the parsley and place it in a large bowl.
5. Add the tomato, cucumber, green onions and mint if using.
6. Add the cooled bulgur.
7. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the salad.
8. Season with salt and black pepper.
9. Toss gently until everything is evenly combined.
10. Serve on its own or with romaine lettuce leaves.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Tabbouleh is a great recipe for practicing careful measuring and chopping. Younger kids can wash herbs, measure ingredients and tear parsley leaves while older kids practice knife skills with adult supervision.

Easy Turkish-Style Manti

Mantı are small filled dumplings found in Turkish and other regional food traditions. Traditional Turkish mantı are made by filling small pieces of dough, often with seasoned meat, and carefully folding them into tiny dumplings.

This kid-friendly shortcut uses prepared meat-filled ravioli so families can explore the combination of dumplings, garlicky yogurt and butter without making the dough and filling from scratch.

Ingredients

• 1 package small meat-filled ravioli
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, optional
• Chopped fresh parsley or mint, optional for serving

Directions

1. Cook the ravioli according to the package directions until tender.
2. While the ravioli cooks, stir together the yogurt, garlic and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
3. Adult Step: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
4. Stir the paprika and dried mint, if using, into the melted butter. Remove from the heat.
5. Drain the cooked ravioli and divide among serving bowls.
6. Spoon some of the garlic yogurt over the ravioli.
7. Drizzle with a small amount of the seasoned butter.
8. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or mint if desired and serve warm.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can measure the yogurt and seasonings and stir together the yogurt sauce. An adult should handle the boiling water and hot butter.

Homemade Falafel

Falafel are seasoned patties or balls made from legumes and herbs. Chickpea falafel is especially associated with food traditions of the Levant and surrounding areas, while other versions may use fava beans or a combination of legumes.

This version begins with dried chickpeas soaked overnight. Do not cook the chickpeas before making the falafel—the soaked uncooked chickpeas help give traditional-style falafel its characteristic texture.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1–2 tablespoons flour, if needed
• Oil for frying
• Pita bread, tomatoes, cucumbers and tahini sauce, optional for serving

Prepare the Chickpeas

1. Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them generously with cool water.
2. Soak for at least 12 hours or overnight. The chickpeas will expand as they soak, so make sure there is plenty of water in the bowl.
3. Drain the chickpeas thoroughly and pat them dry.

Make the Falafel

1. Add the soaked chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper to a food processor.
2. Adult Supervision: Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped and crumbly. Do not blend it into a completely smooth paste.
3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the baking powder.
4. If the mixture seems too wet to hold together, stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Add a little more only if needed.
5. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes.
6. Shape into small balls or slightly flattened patties.
7. Adult Step: Heat about 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet to approximately 350F (175C).
8. Carefully fry a few falafel at a time for about 3-4 minutes, turning as needed, until deeply golden brown and cooked through.
9. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.
10. Serve warm with pita, vegetables and tahini sauce if desired.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can measure the seasonings and help shape the chilled falafel mixture. Frying is an adult-only step because of the hot oil.

Easy Tahini Sauce

This creamy sesame sauce is an easy accompaniment for falafel, vegetables and pita. Tahini naturally thickens when lemon juice is added, then becomes creamy again as water is gradually mixed in.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cold water, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

1. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a small bowl.
2. Stir well. The tahini may become very thick at first.
3. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition.
4. Continue adding water until the sauce becomes smooth and easy to drizzle.
5. Stir in parsley if desired.
6. Taste and adjust the lemon juice or salt before serving.

Kid-Friendly Tip: This is a great recipe for kids to observe a texture change. Watch what happens to the tahini when lemon juice is added and then again when water is stirred in.

Middle Eastern-Style Yogurt & Rice Soup

Yogurt is used in many savory dishes throughout the Middle East and surrounding regions. This warm soup combines rice, yogurt and mint for a creamy soup with a fresh herbal flavor.

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• Black pepper, optional

Directions

1. Add the broth and rice to a large saucepan.
2. Adult Step: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15–20 minutes.
3. While the rice cooks, whisk together the yogurt, egg and flour in a medium bowl until smooth.
4. When the rice is tender, scoop about 1 cup of the hot broth from the saucepan.
5. Slowly whisk the hot broth into the yogurt mixture a little at a time. This gently warms the yogurt mixture before it goes into the soup.
6. Reduce the soup to low heat.
7. Slowly pour the warmed yogurt mixture into the saucepan while stirring constantly.
8. Cook gently for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the soup boil vigorously.
9. Season with salt and black pepper if desired.
10. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
11. Stir in the dried mint and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
12. Stir the mint butter into the soup or drizzle a little over each bowl before serving.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can measure the rice, yogurt and mint and whisk the yogurt mixture. An adult should handle the hot broth and stovetop.

Homemade Labneh

Labneh is thick, strained yogurt enjoyed in several Middle Eastern and eastern Mediterranean food traditions. As yogurt drains, some of its liquid whey separates from the solids, leaving a thicker, creamier food that can be spread or scooped.

Ingredients

• 3 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Extra virgin olive oil, optional for serving
• Za'atar, dried mint or chopped fresh herbs, optional for serving
• Pita bread or fresh vegetables, for serving

Directions

1. Stir the yogurt and salt together in a bowl.
2. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a clean thin kitchen towel.
3. Place the strainer over a deep bowl so there is room underneath for liquid to collect.
4. Spoon the yogurt into the lined strainer.
5. Fold the cloth loosely over the yogurt.
6. Place the bowl and strainer in the refrigerator.
7. Let the yogurt drain for about 12-24 hours. The longer it drains, the thicker the labneh will become.
8. Spoon the finished labneh into a clean serving bowl.
9. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar, mint or fresh herbs if desired.
10. Serve chilled with pita bread or fresh vegetables.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can mix the yogurt and salt and help spoon it into the lined strainer. Check the bowl several hours later to see how much liquid has drained from the yogurt.

Turkish-Style Kofta

Köfte is the Turkish name for a large family of seasoned meatballs, patties and other shaped dishes. Recipes vary throughout Türkiye, with different families and regions using their own combinations of meat, herbs and seasonings.

This easy version uses ground lamb or beef with cumin, allspice, mint, garlic and parsley.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef
• 1/2 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly brush it with olive oil.
3. Add the ground lamb or beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, cumin, allspice, mint, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
4. Mix gently until the ingredients are evenly combined. Avoid overmixing.
5. Shape the mixture into small oval patties or short sausage shapes.
6. Arrange the kofta on the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with olive oil.
7. Adult Step: Bake for about 15-20 minutes, turning once, until browned and the center reaches 160F (71C).
8. Serve warm with pita bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, hummus or a yogurt sauce.

Kid-Friendly Tip: Kids can measure the herbs and spices before the raw meat is added. Older kids can help shape the kofta with clean hands. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw meat and clean all surfaces and utensils that touched it.