5 Syrian recipes

Imad Alarnab

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Explore the flavours of Syria with this authentic selection of classic recipes, from falafel to chicken stew and sesame shortbreads

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Looking for Syrian recipes? Try these authentic recipes from Imad Alarnab, then check out our Middle Eastern meze recipes.

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen is a restaurant with a story. Named after the chef and owner, Imad Alarnab, it was due to open in London’s Carnaby in January 2021, five years after he arrived in England. A successful restaurateur in Damascus, he was forced to flee Syria after his restaurants were destroyed in the war. From Lebanon through Europe, Imad cooked for refugees. His bright, welcoming restaurant pays homage to his homeland, with celebrated Syrian dishes and a sharing menu at its core. Low-intervention wines showcase what Eastern European and Levantian vineyards have to offer. When open, £1 from every bill will go to the refugee charity, One Love.

Imad uses ingredients such as pomegranate molasses (a tangy sweet-sour syrup made from boiling and reducing pomegranate juice), sumac (the vibrant, citrussy sour dried and ground berries of the sumac plant), bulgur wheat (cracked wheat berries that are cooked and dried, traditionally used in tabbouleh) and tahini (a paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds).

Find out how to support the response to the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria here.

Best Syrian recipes

Syrian baba ghanoj

Perfect as a snack or a side to a meze feast, this recipe from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in London makes great use of aubergines, tahini and greek yogurt.

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Baba ghanoush on a blue plate topped with pomegranate seeds

Muhammara

A traditional Syrian dish, make this smoky red pepper dip and garnish with parsley, red onion, pomegranate seeds and a trickle of olive oil.

Syrian chicken with bulgur wheat (burghul bl ja)

Transform chicken thighs with fragrant cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin, then serve on top of raisin-studded bulgur wheat for a colourful dinner. This recipe comes from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen.

A chicken thigh dish topped with pomegranates

Syrian falafel

Try this spiced falafel recipe from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen as part of a meze-style feast. They are best served with a fresh salad and lemony tahini sauce.

Barazek shortbreads

Barazek cookies or biscuits are thin, crispy and usually come with sesame and pistachios. They're easy-to-make and are traditionally served as sweet treats in Syrian bakeries. This recipe was created by Lily Vanilli for her book #Bake For Syria. Lily says… “I love the traditional barazek biscuit, and wanted to merge the Syrian flavours with a traditional English biscuit.”