On the Arab Christmas Table, Kubbeh and Warak Dawali Are Nonnegotiable

Table of Content

The first time Nermine Mansour hosted Christmas dinner, she was working in Guatemala as a diplomat for the Egyptian foreign service. Five continents and a family later, she has hosted many more Christmas dinners, her table always surrounded by guests from diverse backgrounds and laden with diverse dishes to match.

But two offerings remain a constant: kubbeh, a bulgur- and meat-based shell encasing a lamb and nut filling seasoned with cinnamon and allspice, prepared as a pie or as croquettes; and warak dawali, grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of warmly spiced rice and ground beef cooked in a rich, tangy broth.

These dishes are usually associated with special occasions, Christmas in particular, because of the time required to prepare them and the lavish ingredients they call for. Ms. Mansour, who now lives in Alexandria, Va., is Egyptian American and was raised in the Coptic Christian tradition, in which it is common to abstain from meat and dairy for much of the year, including the 45 days before Christmas.

“Of course, we broke our fasting and celebrated with a plethora of meat dishes,” she said.

Across many Arab Christmas tables outside the Middle East, regardless of sect or fasting traditions, kubbeh and stuffed grape leaves are nonnegotiable. They are also a labor of love, requiring meticulous handiwork and time. As with dumplings or tamales, the dishes are traditionally made en masse, with women gathering to divide the labor.

The task of rolling grape leaves takes on a different meaning when it is done alongside friends and family, explained Antonio Tahhan, a Syrian American food writer, making the task not only bearable, but enjoyable.

5 Holiday Movies to Watch This Season

Card 1 of 5

‘Falling for Christmas.’ This Netflix holiday romance turns to a classic formula: A blue-collar widower strikes up an improbable romance with a stuck-up heiress betrothed to a cocky himbo. The twist? The heiress, played by Lindsay Lohan, comes down with amnesia after a skiing accident.

‘Something From Tiffany’s.’ The premise of this movie, streaming on Prime Video, is charming. Gary buys his girlfriend, Rachel, a pair of earrings for Christmas. Ethan buys Vanessa, his girlfriend, an engagement ring. After Gary is hit by a car and Ethan comes to his aid, the two unknowingly swap gifts. Hijinks ensue.

‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol’ Luke Evans, Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley lend their voices to this animated take on the holiday classic streaming on Netflix. The animation waxes psychedelic. The songs, arranged by Jeremy Holland-Smith, often have an auditioning-for-Broadway belt to them.

‘Spirited.’ This Apple TV+ musical film is yet another adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.” A disillusioned Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Will Ferrell, helps guide a cynical marketing executive through his Dickensian journey. Along the way, the ghost comes to terms with his own past.

‘The First Noelle.’ This romantic comedy for BET+ follows a book editor named Noelle who tries to win back her ex, after he returns home for Christmas with a new girlfriend, also named Noelle. (The former goes by Noe, while the latter goes by Elle.) When Noe’s boss expresses interest in signing Elle as an author, Noe struggles to balance her love plan with her work aspirations.

“I remember I always wanted to be around my mom and aunts while they were rolling grape leaves because it sounded like a party,” he said.

The full splendor of this party is revealed when the pot is flipped over and lifted to showcase lamb chops atop layers of meltingly tender, glistening warak dawali. “These dishes speak to something deeper in our shared culinary heritage, to a communal approach to cooking,” Mr. Tahhan said.

Margot Habiby, a Palestinian American living in Dallas and the deputy director of external affairs at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, said that before food processors, home cooks would pound the meat for the kubbeh in a large stone mortar and pestle.

Rather than make the time-intensive kubbeh croquettes, many Arab families make a suniyeh, or kubbeh pie, with intricate patterns.Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

“That pounding sound signaled a village in celebration,” she said. “If someone from the village suffered a tragedy or death, you would never hear that sound coming from any house.”

The pounded raw kubbeh can be served immediately after preparation, like a tartare. But the possibilities of what one can cook with that kubbeh paste are endless. Football-shaped, deep-fried croquettes might be one of the most recognized forms in the West, because of their prevalence in restaurants and mezze spreads. But they’re also the most labor-intensive, so many Arabs prefer to make a pie form (suniyeh), especially during holidays when time is scarce and convenience is paramount.

“It’s always been suniyeh for us,” Ms. Habiby said. “My parents just didn’t have the patience honestly to make the croquettes.”

For the suniyeh, a layer of bulgur-based dough is pressed into a pan and topped with the meat filling, then another layer of the bulgur dough. The top layer is intricately scored, and finally the pie is baked.

“Until my father died at the age of 94, it was our ritual to make the kubbeh together for Christmas,” said Ms. Habiby, adding, “but the design I was not allowed to touch, so it was a very emotional moment for me the first time I made it by myself.”

For most Arabs in the diaspora, kubbeh and stuffed grape leaves are dishes imbued with meaning as much as flavor. For Ms. Mansour, the former diplomat-turned-food writer and recipe developer, they are not only a thread connecting generations across time and geography, but also a bridge connecting people across cultures.

“I want to create an identity for my kids as Egyptian Copts, so we always have kubbeh and grape leaves alongside other traditional Egyptian dishes for Christmas,” she said. “But it’s also my way to share our heritage with everyone sharing our table.”

Recipes: Warak Dawali (Stuffed Grape Leaves) | Kubbeh Pie

Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.

admin

ersinyildirim87@gmail.com https://kazumilk.com

Recent News

Trending News

Editor's Picks

Giriş Kolaylığıyla Zaman Kaybetmeyin

Giriş Kolaylığıyla Zaman Kaybetmeyin Online şans oyunları dünyasında öne çıkan platformlardan biri olan Jokerbet, kullanıcılarına sunduğu güvenilir altyapı ve zengin içerik yelpazesiyle dikkat çekiyor. Spor bahislerinden canlı casinoya, slot oyunlarından sanal sporlara kadar her zevke hitap eden oyunlarla dolu olan platform, yüksek kazanç fırsatları arayan oyuncular için ideal bir adres haline gelmiş durumda. Kullanıcı dostu...

Betosfer Bahis Sitesi Neden Tercih Ediliyor?

Betosfer Bahis Sitesi Neden Tercih Ediliyor? Online bahis dünyasında güvenilirlik, geniş oyun yelpazesi ve kullanıcı memnuniyeti en önemli kriterler arasında yer alır. Türkiye pazarına hızlı ve güçlü bir giriş yapan Betosfer, bu üç temel kriteri bir araya getirerek kısa sürede büyük bir kullanıcı kitlesine ulaşmayı başarmıştır. Gerek spor bahisleri gerekse canlı casino ve slot oyunlarında...

Betturkey ile Bahis Dünyasında Yeni Bir Dönem Başlıyor

Betturkey ile Bahis Dünyasında Yeni Bir Dönem Başlıyor Online bahis sektöründe güvenilir ve kullanıcı dostu platformların sayısı her geçen gün artıyor. Bu alanda kısa sürede büyük bir ilgi gören Betturkey, sunduğu avantajlarla oyuncuların ilgisini çekmeyi başarıyor. Hem spor bahisleri hem de casino kategorisinde geniş seçenekler sunan platform, kaliteli hizmet anlayışıyla Türkiye’de bahis severlerin favori adreslerinden...

Discover the Smart Way to Protect Your Privacy with TempMail.co.uk

Discover the Smart Way to Protect Your Privacy with TempMail.co.uk In an age where online privacy is constantly under threat, users are searching for reliable and secure tools to protect their digital identity. Whether you’re signing up for a new service, testing a platform, or just avoiding spam, temporary email services have become essential. One...

Free Online Games

Free Online Games The appeal of free games on ecegame.com lies not just in the variety but also in the accessibility. You don’t need to spend money to enjoy high-quality games, and you don’t need to install anything on your device. With just a few clicks, you can dive into exciting gameplay, whether you’re looking...

©2025- All Right Reserved. Designed

You cannot copy content of this page

Betturkey Giriş Beinwon - Beinwon - Beinwon - Smoke Detector - Oil Changed - Key Fob Battery - Jeep Remote Start - C4 Transmission - Blink Batteries - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Firma Rehberi - Tipobet - Tipobet -
Acibadem Hospitals - İzmir Haber - Antalya Haber -