Centuries-old with a distinctive green color, matcha, Chinese green tea has been taking over the Arab world’s eateries and coffee shops. There is a craze and fascination for the ancient drink made in a very distinct way by whisking matcha powder with a bamboo whisk in hot water to create a green froth.
Knowing how it continues to trend among foodies, we put our creative hats on and scoured the internet for some unique matcha recipes with a fun Arab twist.
Zaatar Matcha Pastry Bites
This might be the most unaccepted duo, but this recipe somehow combines the Arab world’s almighty za’atar with China’s ancient matcha. Waseem, the founder of Plant Based Arab, a platform where traditional Arab food is made with a plant-based twist, is behind this recipe.
The reason behind using matcha in this recipe is that it adds a subtle soothing flavor without overpowering the taste of the za’atar.
To make this pastry, you first make the dough and add matcha superfood powder. Then, mold it into a ball, cut it into 8 equal parts, and bake it in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll have warm and crunchy pastries to enjoy.
Matcha Falafel Salad
With it already being the summer season, it is time for a fresh and fun dive into delicious salads. Sometimes when having a salad, you want to get full and not just boost your fiber intake. That means adding in some protein.
Meet the matcha falafel salad, made by pulsing together falafel ingredients in a food processor, including a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder. Pulse the ingredients until they become crumbly, form them into small patties, and then cook them in a heated pan for 10 minutes.
Then, assemble your salad by adding the falafel, avocado, cucumbers, and edamame.
Dates Milkshake With Matcha
From the famous Majdool dates originally grown in Morocco to Halawy dates that originally came from Basra, Iraq, these fruits that come from towering palm trees are loved for their sweet taste and major health benefits.
One of the most delicious ways to consume the fruit is by making a date milkshake or smoothie. To up the ante even more, you can add in some matcha.
Let us introduce you to the special drink known as a date milkshake with matcha. This is probably the easiest matcha concoction in this article; all you’ll need is a hefty blender and some ingredients.
In that blender, mix together almond milk, frozen banana, mejdool dates, matcha, cinnamon powder, and tahini. For the full recipe, head to Faoz’s Vegan Bil Araby website.
Matcha Halva
For anyone craving a pure sugar rush, halva, the fudge-like confection made with tahini, is the ultimate go-to in the Arab world.
Usually, it is either plain or filled with pistachios, and some people enjoy it with a knife and fork while others eat it with bread. A recipe for matcha halva recreates that dessert in a new light.
The little bite-sized matcha halva is made by first heating sugar in a small pot or saucepan with water and vanilla until it reaches 118 degrees Celsius. Then, you pour tahini, chia seeds, matcha powder, and kosher salt onto the sugar mixture.
Mix it up, then pour the mixture onto loaf pans and chill them in the fridge for 30 minutes. For the full recipe, visit Justine Snacks‘ website.
Creamy Matcha Hummus
Hummus, known as the famous chickpea dip, has become so popular to the point that it is a go-to across grocery stores in the US and Europe. It is so popular that weird, out-of-the-box flavors of the dip were created, including chocolate hummus and even pizza hummus.
Joining the lot is another flavor you wouldn’t expect. Yes, you guessed that right, matcha hummus. Let’s jump right into the recipe. In a food processor, add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, chickpeas, garlic, salt, matcha, and rice powder.
Mix it up until it is creamy and smooth. For that touch of pizzazz, garnish your hummus with extra olive oil, sesame seeds, and matcha powder.
These recipes are out of the box and will introduce to you completely new ways of enjoying the popular matcha. What do you think of the recipes? Did we go over the top?