If you’ve had the pleasure of taking one of our culinary tours of the Carmel Market, you may have been lucky enough to stop at a very special restaurant run by a larger-than-life personality named Irit for a hard-to-find food called lahooh. Irit’s modest eatery is located on the outskirts of the Carmel Market in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv, adjacent to her home where she was born and raised.
The Yemenite immigrants to Israel have left an indelible mark on our culinary culture, and are especially famous for thick breads/doughs and rich hawaij-based soups that live well in harmony together. Lahooh is a special bread eaten for centuries by the Jews of Yemen prior to their arrival in Israel. It is made out of a batter that will become a smooth pancake on one side, and a bubbly spongy texture on the other after being steamed in a hot pan.
While the secret to good lahooh lies in the fenugreek, Irit would tell you sprinkling in lots of love makes all the difference! Enjoy it with schug (recipe below) and simple grated tomatoes for an authentic Yemenite-Israeli experience, but feel free to play around and add your own favorite toppings like labane and za’atar or tahini.
Ingredients
One package flour
Pot of water
½ tbsp. fenugreek (ground fenugreek seeds)
1 tbsp. yeast
Directions
Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Add water (one cup at a time) in stages and mix into a batter until entirely smooth and there are no longer any lumps. Cover mixture with a towel and let rise for approximately one hour (check to see if the mixture has risen - if not, let rise for longer)
Heat pan with a tablespoon of oil until very hot. Drain oil and wipe inside of pan with a paper towel.
Pour water over the back of the pan (This steams the pan and keeps the lahooh from sticking)
Pour ladle full of lahooh mixture into pan. When small bubbles form throughout (like a pancake), remove the lahooh from heat (no need to flip!) and let cool for 15 minutes.
Before ladling next round of the lahooh dough, pour water over the back of the pan again to create steam.
Serve with grated tomato and schug, or your other favorite toppings!
Schug (Yemenite Hot Sauce)
This Yemenite hot sauce is hugely popular all over Israel, and when you eat it, you’ll understand why. Both spicy and deeply flavorful, schug is a not only for lahooh and other Yemenite foods - it is a welcome addition to hummus, falafel, shakshuka and many of your other Israeli favorites.
Ingredients
10 whole jalapeno peppers (or fewer, depending on your desired level of heat)
Bunch of cilantro
6 garlic cloves
Directions
1. Place ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth, but small chunks are still visible.
2. Enjoy with lahooh!
Photo credit: HaShulchan