Noor Murad on her Flavours of the Middle East

What brought you to writing this cookbook?

I’d been fascinated with cookbooks since I was little and would pour over the ones my mum had in her kitchen. Back then they were so different to cookbooks today, much less picture-heavy, and I’d read through the whole method and imagine myself cooking them in my head and what they’d look like.

I didn’t know then that a career in food would eventually lead me to the world of publishing and that I’d go on to write my own. But I did know that I had a story to tell and that when the time was right, I would share it.

What stories are you hoping to share and amplify, through food?

I think that food is the best way to harvest connection and understanding in a world that is often divided. I hope that by writing about my Bahraini upbringing and providing some insight into a little-known part of the world, I can strengthen this connection and also provide another positive narrative on Middle Eastern food and culture.

Why have you chosen food as your story-telling medium?

Because food is the one language that we all speak, no matter where we come from. It is the instigator of conversation, and conversation the most powerful tool we can use to create change.

What was the first thought you wrote down, when you started writing Lugma?

I wrote down this sentence: “The Classical word for rice is aruz, but in Bahrain we call it aish which means living. In Bahrain there is no table setting without rice because, well, rice is living.”

Which cookbooks are on your shelves?

So many! But my two favourites are Anissa Helou’s “Feast: Food of the Islamic World” and Najmieh Batmanglij’s “Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies”.

What have you learned while writing Lugma?

I learnt that the recipes that come to fruition the easiest are often the ones that have a story or a memory behind them. I think, as chefs, we sometimes think we need to pull something original out of the box but often times these types of recipes fall flat, and it’s the dishes that are personal to us that become the most popular. Authenticity always wins.

What is it about cooking (and food) that makes you happy?

The communal aspect of food, especially with big sharing platters and mezze type dishes, is the part I enjoy the most. It’s the best way to bring people together and to hit pause on everything else for a little while.

What are the core components of a good meal for you?

Attention to detail, even in the most humble of dishes. A pot of rice pilaf can be made that much better if care is taken in its preparation, such as washing and soaking the rice to create the fluffiest grain, tasting the cooking liquid to make sure it’s properly seasoned, finishing it off with a pat of butter to coat the gains in unctuous fat.

Little things can go a long way and it doesn’t have to be fancy to be considered a good meal. In fact, it's probably better when it’s not.

What do you think about, when you are cooking?

I wish I could say that cooking is an escape but as it’s my job I can’t help but become very focused when I cook. I am often thinking two steps ahead and washing up as I go to make the process as seamless as possible.

What dish do you turn to most often?

Bahraini dal and buttered rice. It is my little feelings and big feelings dish and the dish I turn to when I’m not sure where to turn at all. There’s a reassuring familiarity to it, and is nourishing for the mind.

What’s your favourite ingredient to cook with right now?

Hard to pick a favourite but right now I do use date syrup quite a lot, especially drizzled onto my morning porridge!

What ingredients have you recently discovered that you are excited about?

It’s not a new discovery but with Lugma I included a recipe for man’eesh with Akkawi cheese, a salty Palestinian cheese from the city of Akka. I hadn’t had Akkawi in a while and was reminded how wonderful it is in terms of its meltability and mild flavour.

You can find Akkawi sold in brine , refrigerated and often jarred. To remove the salt you have to wash and soak it a few times. But it’s such a great cheese for flatbreads and also to make Knafeh, the popular Arabic dessert.

Can you tell me about a particularly memorable meal you have had and what made it so special?

I had the most delicious skate wing at Jikoni in Marleybone with a lime pickle buerre noisette. Skate wing is one of my favourite cuts of fish and when done right is just so meaty and delicious.

It also takes on bold flavours really well so the lime pickle and nutty burnt butter was the perfect pairing.

How do you balance tradition and innovation in your cooking?

I always say that in order to put your spin on traditional dishes it’s very important to first cook the dish in its truest form. This’ll give you the proper insight into the dish as it was meant to be cooked, and then when adding your own twists you can still honour the original vision.

That’s definitely a rule I try to adhere by if I do want to reimagine traditional dishes.

Beyond the world of cookbooks - can you tell us which writers and thinkers have influenced this book?

Anissa Helou and Diana Henry are two voices in food that I really look up to. I love the way they both get to the heart of the matter, are super descriptive and inviting in their manner and approach to both food and life, and how they write without any ego.

What is one kitchen tip everyone should know?

Everyone should know that rice nirvana is very achievable when making rice pilaf, but that the grain needs to be treated with much love and respect! Washing, soaking and draining basmati rice very well will always improve rice quality.

Who is the first person to try your cooking? And what do they say?

While working on Lugma it was often my friend Anosha, who used to live down the road and had many mouths to feed. Anosha is Iranian so she understands my style of cooking, and she would often say “Jan (a Farsi word for ‘dear’ or darling’), this tastes like home”.

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