With Halloween coming up, fans of the spooky holiday will start their preparations for the upcoming festivities and parties. They’ll buy their costumes, hang their decorations but most importantly, they’ll begin coming up with ideas for a full-fledged Halloween party menu. If you’re bored of the typical online listicles of Halloween party snacks and want to go for an Arab-style spooky feast, we’ve got you covered with our very own special party menu.
Monster Falafel Sandwiches
All over the Middle East, the infamous deep-fried balls of chickpeas or beans known to many as falafel are the epitome of a well-loved Arab classic street food. The most popular way to consume falafel is by wrapping it in some hot pita bread and adding a generous drizzle of hummus or tahini on top. That is why we thought it would be perfect to transform the concept of a falafel sandwich into a unique Halloween party snack that we have dubbed the Monster Falafel sandwich.
Making the sandwich could not be easier as you’ll merely need to shape the finely ground chickpea or fava bean mix into a round patty, deep fry it, and from there comes the fun part of creating the monster. For the jagged teeth, get some cheese, and using a scissor, cut through the cheese following a zig-zag pattern. For the spooky eyes, stick two green or black olives onto a toothpick which will then be jabbed onto the top of the sandwich. Then when it comes to the filling, it’s all about personal taste, you can add tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles, or keep it simple with just the falafel patty and cheese.
Spooky Mahshi
Sticking true to another Arab classic, we had to include Mahshi, the popular Middle Eastern dish that consists of any vegetable stuffed with rice and on occasion, minced beef. The vegetables can range from zucchini to eggplant and tomatoes. To give this dish a Halloween twist, we’ve created a spin-off on a classic symbol of the holiday, the carved pumpkin better known as Jack-O-Lantern.
For this version of mahshi, the perfect vegetable to go for would be an orange bell pepper. Using this recipe as a guide, you’ll be able to prepare the stuffed bell peppers by cooking the rice in a tomato mixture, coring the bell peppers, stuffing them, and then cooking them in the oven. That is when they will be ready for some carving which can be a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Using a sharp knife, you can go for the traditional Jack O Lantern look or take an out-of-the-box approach and carve something else entirely, maybe a house, some skulls, or even a few slithering snakes.
One-Eyed Konafa Monster Cake
Whether during Ramadan or Eid, there is one dessert that is considered kryptonite to most Arabs, the ubiquitous konafa. This unique pastry that resembles vermicelli is made from shredded phyllo dough and is usually filled with either cream or cheese. As it has that hair-like appearance, it can be a great base to re-create the look of a shaggy orange one-eyed monster.
The bigger the monster, the better so we’d recommend making three layers of konafa instead of the usual thin layer we know and love. Between each layer can be the filling of your choice whether it’s traditional cream or for a fun twist, you can go for some hazelnut spread which pairs really well with konafa. For the final and most important touch, you’ll need to add in the big ghastly eye. Instead of going for the traditional route and making an eye out of fondant, you can get a big paintbrush, cover it with cream and paint a circle on the konafa then use molasses to make the iris and mouth. With that, you’ll have a big scary monster that can be the centerpiece of your Halloween-esque party table.
The Jallab Punch Murder Scene
Nothing says Halloween better than a big bowl of punch. The popular beverage is a special concoction of sugar, water, lemon and some spices that is served at many kinds of parties. This Halloween, for the ultimate Arab spin on this popular drink, we thought to swap the traditional punch for some Jallab. This slightly sweet Lebanese fruit syrup is made from carob, dates, grape molasses, and rose water and is usually served with pine nuts and crushed ice. With its signature red color, it has that blood-like factor to make the punch bowl extra spooky.
To up the spooky factor even more and add a murder-esque vibe to the drink, instead of regular cubes of ice, you can go for floating ice hands by filling two pairs of gloves with ice cubes and water. With the pine nuts added in there, things can get a lot scarier as they can represent the teeth that were hypothetically found at the crime scene.
Sujuk Bloody Fingers
A great addition to any sandwich is the sujuk; a spicy juicy sausage that has that perfect comforting fatty flavor to it. There are many ways to enjoy this special sausage whether as a topping to a cheesy pie or as a sandwich.
To transform this popular Arab street snack into a creepy Halloween party food, you’ll need to put on your carving skills. Using a knife, you can turn these popular Arab sausages into grotesque-looking chopped fingers. For the nails, carve out an arched-shaped groove from the top of the sausage while for the curved creases, carve out two lines in the middle part of the sujuk. Slather the entire sandwich with a hefty amount of ketchup and you’ll have created a bloodied sausage fest.
Ready to up your Halloween party? Give these Arab snacks a try and let us know what you think.