That Translator Can Cook: Manakish
A round flatbread typically topped with za’atar (a special spcie mix) or cheese (my favorite is labneh); and baked in the oven.
Image Source: YouTube
I can’t eat the za’atar manakish-though I could eat it if it were made with sesame-free za’atar. Usually, I eat a similar recipe that uses meat because it’s irritant-free most of the time. Manakish is dangerous because if someone made it small (about the size of your palm), you don’t just one: you EAT THEM ALL.
Manakish is also called “mana’ish” or “man’oushe”: man’oushe is the singular and mana’ish/ manakish is the plural. Can you think of why the plural might be more commonly used? There are two main types of manakish:
za’atar: a spice blend comprising thyme (za’atar in Arabic), sumac, marjoram, salt, and toasted sesame seeds.
cheese: I prefer the kind with a soft, tangy cheese called ‘labneh,’ but mozzarella and other cheeses are also common.
There is a dish that is made with meat (spiced ground beef or lamb with sautéed onions and tomatoes) that looks like manakish but isn’t really. It’s called lahm bi ajeen and I’ll be talking about this next week.
If you’ve never heard of za’atar, your life is missing something because it’s delicious. Here is a short video from Nadia Tommalieh, showing you how to make it from scratch (they make it look so easy):
In general, people attribute manakish to the Levant (Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria). Manakish’s origins can be traced back to the 10th century, where a cookbook references recipes of flatbreads that use thyme and olive oil. Manakish ingredients (za’atar, olive oil, and the bread) have been used in the Levant “for thousands of years.”
And for good reason: thyme and olive oil have many health benefits.
Thyme is good for you because it:
can kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses
can help lower blood pressure
is a natural cough remedy
is a good source of vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, fiber, iron, and manganese)
can boost your mood
can ward off pests
Olive also has many proven health benefits; olive oil:
is rich in healthy monosaturated fats
contains many antioxidants
has strong anti-inflammatory properties, which may also have anti-cancer properties
may help prevent strokes
reduces the risk of heart disease
does not increase the likelihood of weight gain, and may even aid in weight loss
may fight Alzheimer disease
may reduce type 2 diabetes
Here is how to make this easy yet tasty snack (recipe belongs to Suhad Kh.)!
Steps
Mix all the dough ingredients well, knead the dough, and let it rest for an hour.
Cut the dough into mid-sized pieces and let them rest for 10 minutes.
Prep the tomato-za’atar manakish topping in a shallow dish: mix together the tomato paste, za’atar, oil, and salt.
Prep the cheese manakish topping in a shallow dish: take pieces of cheese, mash them with a fork, and pour oil over top.
Prep the combo manakish topping in a deep dish: beat the eggs well; add the salt, black pepper, and olive oil; and mix it a bit.
Prep the za’atar manakish topping in a shallow dish: mix together the za’atar, olive oil, and sumac.
Roll out the pieces of dough and form discs with them until there’s no dough left.
For the tomato-za’atar and za’atar manakish, poke the dough with a fork. For the combo manakish, half-bake the dough until it swells up, then raise the edges up and take the extra dough.
Place the pieces of dough on a baking sheet and add the toppings one-by-one until they're all used up. Bake in the oven and cut them up however you wish. Bon appetit!
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
1 kilo of flour
1 tablespoon of yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
4 cups of water
½ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of yogurt
1 tablespoon of powered milk
Tomato-Za’atar Manakish
4 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of za’atar
½ teaspoon of salt
Za’atar Manakish
4 tablespoons of za’atar
4 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon of sumac
Cheese Manakish
2 wedges of soft cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Combo Manakish
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of za’atar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
½ teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
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Translators’ Discussion
I know I’ve discussed this before, but كاسة كبار (“large cups”) are like 2 measuring cups in one ‘large cup,’ correct? I also translated فنجان (lit. “coffee cup/teacup”) as a ½ cup because it’s pretty small. Arabic speakers, how would you translate these measurements?
The recipe dictates that we use a صحن (lit. “plate”) to mix most of the toppings, but I used “shallow dish” instead because I thought that a plate wouldn’t be helpful for stirring. What do you all think?
Ok, time to address the elephant in the room: what is “combo manakish”? I have no idea, haha. I’ve never heard of tomato-za’atar manakish either, but that seems like it would be more common. In the original recipe, the combo manakish is referred to as كوكتيل مناقيش (lit. “cocktail manakish”), which made it even weirder to me. Is this type of manakish actually a thing?
Even after discussing this sentence with my colleagues, we still don’t know what the instructions for combo manakish meant. Can anyone familiar with making manakish and Arabic help us out with this one:
لكوكتيل المناقيش نخبز القطعه نصف خبزة حتى تنتفخ ونرفع الحواف ونشيل القطعه الزائدة
*القطعه refers to a disc of dough