That Translator Can Cook: Rumaniyya
A lentil and eggplant stew/dip with a pomegranate infusion
This is a Palestinian dish, originating from Jaffa, which I have not yet had the pleasure of eating. I’m adding this to my growing list of ‘must-try’ recipes. I’m a sucker for eggplant stews. The only potential hurdle is finding a substitute for tahini (for some recipes, not this one); sadly, I am allergic to sesame.
Rumaniyya is unique to Gaza, I believe, which is why I’ve never eaten it before, as I’ve only traveled around the West Bank. Palestinians need a special travel permit to move from West Bank to Gaza and vice versa; so it’s not surprising that cuisine (among other cultural aspects) from each region does not really reach the other. Gazan cuisine is also significantly affected by the Israeli blockade, but more about that in subsequent posts.
This dish is usually made in late summer and heralds the beginning of autumn. It’s made with ‘sour pomegranate’ or unripe, green pomegranate. Eating some fruits and nuts when they are green and unripe is popular in Palestine. I’ve tried unripe cherries, almonds, and chickpeas; I can’t say the cherries and almonds were to my taste, but the chickpeas were quite tasty, especially when my friend stir-fried them in their pods with some spices.
Unripe cherries (left), almonds (center), and chickpeas (right)
Image Source: Altibbi
Here is how to make this dip/stew. The picture and recipe belong to Hamoudi Mutfagi.
Ingredients
6 medium sour pomegranates (about 2.5 kilos)
2 medium eggplants, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 cup of lentils, washed, sorted, and strained
2 tablespoons of white flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of starch
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cumin
For boiling the lentils and eggplants:
4 cups of hot water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
For seasoning:
6 cloves of garlic, minced
0.5 teaspoon of ground coriander
For serving: Bread, green peppers, oil, radishes
Steps
60 minutes
Prep all the ingredients beforehand.
In a pot, boil the lentils with the eggplant on medium heat until they're cooked completely.
Strip the pomegranates and remove the seeds; put them through the blender, then strain the pomegranates to extract their juice.
Add the pomegranate juice to the lentil and eggplant mixture in the pot, then add the salt and cumin. Stir a little then reduce the heat a bit.
Blend all the ingredients in the pot with a hand mixer until the mixture is smooth.
Dissolve the starch and flour in a half cup of cold water, then add it to the pot. Stir until the mixture becomes thick and consistent.
Heat olive oil in a pan, then add the garlic and coriander and stir for one minute until the garlic’s aroma wafts up from the pan.
Next, add the garlic and coriander to the pot, stir a bit, then take the pot off the stove and let it sit and cool down for a little bit.
Pour the stew into a serving bowl and serve cool alongside thin pita bread, green peppers, oil, and radishes.
Translators’ Discussion:
I learned something interesting from a friend (who is also an Arabic translator): لطشة means “a sprinkle of” and طشة is a mixture of spices or seasonings that are cooked in oil, ghee/lard, or butter and poured into the pot. This is the “for seasoning” section of the ingredient list.
I want to ask all of you who speak Arabic: how do you translate قلب, حرك, and خلط? Strictly “stir,” “mix,” and “blend”? Or do you translate them differently depending on the context? (Now, I feel silly for asking this question; we’re translators, the answer is always ‘depending on the context’)