Middle Eastern Food Catering

Certainly! Syrian cuisine offers a rich variety of flavors and dishes that can be combined to create a delicious catering menu. Here are some popular Syrian dishes that complement each other well:  Below is a suggestion for a catering order.  Please see Traditional Syrian Foods page for individual dishes.

1.    Appetizers:

·         Hummus: A creamy dip made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, often served with pita bread or vegetables.

·         Baba Ganoush: Roasted eggplant dip with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil.

·         Tabouleh: A refreshing salad made with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, bulgur wheat, and seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.

·         Falafel: Deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas, herbs, and spices, served with tahini sauce.

2.    Main Courses:

·         Shawarma: Marinated slices of meat (typically lamb, chicken, or beef) grilled on a vertical rotisserie and served with flatbread, pickles, and garlic sauce.

·         Kebabs: Skewers of grilled meat (lamb, chicken, or beef) seasoned with Middle Eastern spices and served with rice pilaf or grilled vegetables.

·         Kibbeh: Ground meat (usually lamb or beef) mixed with bulgur wheat, onions, and spices, shaped into balls or patties and either fried or baked.

·         Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak Enab): Grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and sometimes ground meat, cooked in a tangy sauce.

3.    Side Dishes:

·         Fattoush: A colorful salad made with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, onions, and crispy pieces of toasted pita bread, dressed with a tangy sumac vinaigrette.

·         Mujadara: A hearty dish of lentils and rice cooked with caramelized onions and seasoned with cumin and other spices.

·         Labneh: Thick strained yogurt served with olive oil, za’atar spice blend, and fresh herbs, often eaten as a dip or spread.

4.    Desserts:

·         Baklava: Layers of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts (such as pistachios or walnuts), sweetened with honey or syrup, and flavored with rose water or orange blossom water.

·         Ma’amoul: Shortbread-like cookies filled with dates, nuts, or sweetened semolina, often shaped into intricate molds and dusted with powdered sugar.

·         Halawet El-Jibn: Sweet cheese rolls made from a stretchy cheese dough filled with sweetened cream, then drizzled with syrup and topped with pistachios.

These dishes offer a diverse and flavorful selection of Syrian cuisine that would be sure to impress guests at a catering event.

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