A guide for Middle Eastern Food in Indianapolis

Middle Eastern cuisine is very diverse and changes from country to country. Some of the countries best known for their cuisines in Indianapolis are Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and Israel. Indianapolis offers a wide variety of Middle Eastern cafes, hookah bars, restaurant and eateries. Today getting Middle Eastern food in Indianapolis is just a phone call away; you don’t have to wait for one of your Middle Eastern friends to invite for dinner.

 The Middle Eastern food in Indianapolis offers a classic combination of traditional home made food and modern food. Since Islam is the prominent religion in Middle East you can get only halal food in authentic Middle Eastern restaurants. Most of the restaurants will not serve wine or any other alcoholic beverage and pork since they are strictly non halal.

Each typical meal starts with appetizers and starters then proceeds to main course which mostly consists of lamb or chicken dishes and ends with desserts. Since Islam forbids eating pork meats like lamb, chicken and beef are used.Grilling, frying, grinding, and stewing are the most common ways of preparing meats.They are usually cooked with vegetables and lentils and served with rice. Some of the famous dishes are Shawarma, Kofta, Persian Tas kebab,Shish tawook and many lamb recipes.

Bread accompanies most of the meals whether dinner or lunch. Some of the restaurants will pack bread with lunch or dinner delivery in Indianapolis since it’s the standard custom. The pita bread is the most common bread other breads such as matzoh is also popular. Middle Eastern food in Indianapolis uses a variety of yogurt and cheese. Most of the sweets like QatayefFeteer and Halawat el Jibn use goat cheese for stuffing. Halawat el Jibn literally means sweetness of cheese. Turkish delight is a very popular sweet dish in US.

Vegetables and cereals are important part of daily diet. Green and black olives are present in many dishes, and olive oil is most frequently used in food preparation.Eggplant is the most widely used vegetable; some of the famous dishes like Baba Ghanauj are prepared using eggplant. It is a thick paste of eggplant with a tangy flavour. A Ful Madames is prepared by cooking fava beans it is considered as the national dish of Egypt. Tahini and hummus are popular dips in US. 

Hard to resist Egyptian Deserts you can find in Indianapolis

The Egyptian cuisine offers a classic blend of traditional and modern food culture. It spans over three thousand years. In recent years popularity of Egyptian foodin Indianapolis has witnessed an upward trend. Many cafes, hookah bars, eateries and restaurants have come up which offer homemade Egyptian food, served in traditional style.

Since Islam is the dominant religion in Egypt and rest of the Middle Eastern countries, authentic Egyptian restaurants offer only halal food in Indianapolis. Since pork and alcohol are strictly non-halal you will not be served pork dishes and wine in any authentic Egyptian restaurant.

However many Greek restaurants in Indianapolis offer some of the best know Egyptian dishes with wine. So you can pick a one to wine and dine but the authenticity of Egyptian food may not be as good as Egyptian restaurants in the city.

Contrary to popular belief Egyptian cuisine offers many vegan and desserts.All the ingredients in the desserts are natural and include a lot of sugar; you will find that Egyptians like their sugar. These desserts are not like anything you have tried before, unless you have been to Egypt. Here are four best Egyptian desserts you can find in Indianapolis.

Umm Ali

Umm Ali, literally the mother of Ali, is perhaps one of Egypt’s most favoured desserts. It’s easy to make and very economical. This Egyptian dessert staple is made of phyllo pastry, milk, double cream, nuts and is sometimes topped with raisins, powdered sugar and coconut flakes.

Kunafeh

It is the Middle Eastern version of the cheese cake. Kunafeh is made of semolina dough and thin noodle-like phyllo pastry. It is stuffed with a white soft cheese such as Nabulsi cheese. Kunafeh is crunchy on the outside and is soaked in simple sweet syrup

Basbousa

A sweet cake made of semolina, same wheat used in pasta and couscous, soaked in simple sweet syrup; sometimes the syrup is flavoured with coconut or rose water. Basbousa can be eaten with nuts, heavy cream or plain.

Rice Pudding

Often recommended for people with digestive problems this dish has been said to have evolved in medical books. It is made of a mixture of rice and milk which is sweetened with the addition of sugar and can be topped with nuts and garnished with cinnamon. It is very nutritious and healthy.

Looking for Halal Food in Indianapolis?

Many ancient civilizations had a rich food culture which evolved over the years. Egyptian civilisation is one of the greatest civilisations that go back thousands of years. The Middle Eastern cuisine offers a classic blend of traditional and modern food culture. The food culture in this area has been influenced by Greek and to some extent by European cuisines such as British and French. 

The Middle Eastern cuisine is also known as halal food. Halal simply means permissible in Arabic. Muslims who abide by the religious laws consume only Halal food. The halal food has a rich and tasty history, it spans over three thousand years. It is very popular in United States, how can Indianapolis be any different?There are many restaurants and eateries offering halal food in Indianapolis.

Commonly recognized items that are not halal are pork and all its by-products as well as any type of intoxicating drink, or even drugs.So if you are a pork lover don’t step into a Middle Eastern restaurant. Halal food has been influenced by traditional Greek food due to the close physical proximity to ancient RomanEmpire. That is the reason many halal food restaurants offer a variety of Greek food. But wine is considered non halal so unlike any Greek restaurant in Indianapolis you won’t be served wine with your order.

The Middle Eastern restaurants offer a variety of traditional and modern halal dishes like Koushari, Lamb Shawarma, Kofta, Falafel and Fattoush. All meat and dairy products except pork are considered Halal and almost all vegetables and lentils are halal too so halal food offers a wide variety of healthy and mouthwatering dishes.

Many halal veg Middle Eastern dishes like Hummus and Baba Ghanauj are very popular in United States. Tahini is another popular dish; this sauce is made from sesame seeds and tastes great when combined with roasted eggplant, hummus or falafel. Lamb lovers can spend hours in Middle Eastern restaurants enjoying lamb delights like Lamb kebabs, Lebanese’s lamb stew and Ottoman lamb. For those of us with a sweet tooth, Umm Ali, Konnafa and Basbousa are the sweet dishes we can’t miss. 

Most of the halal restaurants accept online orders and provide free food delivery in Indianapolis. However I personally prefer to take a corner seat in a restaurant with classic Middle Eastern ambience and traditional homemade halal food. 

Pick the Best Vegan Egyptian Food in Indianapolis

Egyptian cuisine is a classic blend traditional and modern recipe. There are many restaurants offering Egyptian food in Indianapolis. Some of them offer special dinner delivery in Indianapolis which is a combination of starters, soups and main course as served in traditional Egyptian style. Many people have a common misconception that Egyptian cuisine is more meat based. Though they are right to some extent, Egyptian cuisine offers a wide variety of vegan delights.

Coptic Orthodox was one of the earliest forms of Christianity and was the religion of the country until the Arab invasions. The Coptic Church believes in partial fasting almost 200 days of every year. During about 60 of those days, the members eat a completely vegan diet. That’s why Egyptian cuisine offers a variety of vegan dishes.   Being a vegan myself I have tried many of these delicious dishes. Here are four best Egyptian vegan dishes you can order for lunch delivery in Indianapolis.

 Colcasia/ Taro Soup

Taro, or Qilqas as it is known in Egypt, is usually prepared by peeling the taro tubers then boiling them and preparing them in a broth with lemon juice, garlic and coriander. After it is cooked, the taro is mashed and the whole preparation is served as a dip with Egyptian flat bread.

Baba Ghanauj

It is a dish of cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings. It is normally served with a dressing of olive oil and pomegranate concentrate. It can be used as appetizer or as dip. Traditionally it is served with bread as appetizer.

Ful Madames

Most popular staple food in Egypt, it consists of lava beans served with oil, garlic and lemon juice. This is one of the oldest dishes which can be traced back to twelfth century. It can be served with many other dishes like fried or boiled eggs and pastrami.  But traditional method is to eat it plain and salted with Egyptian bread bun.

Koushari

Considered to be the Egyptian national dish, it consists of pasta and tomato sauce, among other items, including rice, lentils, caramelized onions, garlic and chickpeas. This is one the most popular lunch items in Egypt. In many Egyptian restaurants this dish is a part of standard lunch pack. 

Many new Middle Eastern restaurants have come up in Indianapolis. Getting a special Egyptian lunch delivery in Indianapolis is very easy now.

Try the Exquisite Middle Eastern Food in Indianapolis

Not just middle easterners but Americans are also regularly showing up at Middle Eastern Restaurants in Indianapolis. We are well aware of the crazy following Hummus has in America. We do get bored eating the same food every day and we all need some change.

I particularly like to try different cuisines whenever I get a chance to. I have particularly grown affectionate towards middle eastern food in Indianapolis. There are plenty of restaurants where you can get quality Middle Eastern food.

If you are a fan of olives and olive oil, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley then you will definitely love Middle Eastern cuisine. The Middle Eastern cuisine is a classic blend of recipes from region like Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and the Gulf countries.  Although it’s becoming trendy many dishes still retain the traditional heritage.

Hospitality is central to Middle Eastern culture that’s why its food culture revolves around festivities and celebrations. Traditional homemade cooking requires hours or sometimes days of preparation in advance. Most of the celebrations and festivities showcase a wide spread of lovely and mouth-watering dishes. So if you really want to enjoy this cuisine I suggest you call a restaurant which offers special Middle Eastern dinner delivery in Indianapolis. 

I don’t have a particular sweet tooth but i have fallen in love with some of the Middle Eastern desserts like Baklavawhich is made from a thin filo pastry filled chopped nuts, sweet syrup and honey dressing is my favourite. Knafeh is delicious cheesecake that uses Nabusi cheese, which is common to Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. I love meat and poultry products too and I have tried some dishes like Fatta and Shawarma. And I absolutely love their veg breakfasts delight Ful mudammas.

I have been around a few Middle Eastern restaurants in Indianapolis so I can tell you with utmost confidence that try a place which offers homemade food. Since it takes some time to prepare any dish, I advise you to make a dinner reservation in advance and have some free time to enjoy the food. If you don’t have the time to dine then you can easily get food delivery in Indianapolis.

Just as Buddhism plays a hand in determining the diets of many Asian countries, so does the religions of the Middle East affect the cuisine. Lamb is obviously the main meat as both the Jewish and Muslim faiths forbid the eating of pork. So pork lovers usually get thumbs down from any Middle Eastern restaurant.

Four Awesome Dishes to Pick From Egyptian Food in Indianapolis

It is said that if you want to know about any culture try its cuisine first. Food is a direct reflection of our cultural and social heritage. In the last few years United States has witnessed a mushroom growth of restaurants offering a range of cuisines from East Asia to coming Middle Eastern Food. How can Indianapolis be any different?

Egypt is one of oldest civilization and has a rich cultural and culinary history. There are quite a few great restaurants that offer Egyptian food in Indianapolis. The unique Egyptian cuisine has been influenced throughout history, particularly by its neighbours from the Middle East. Ottomans (Turkey)were the first to influence Egyptian cuisine thousands of years ago.

After thousands of years, rice and bread remain staple foods, and molokhiyya (a spinach-like vegetable) and fulmudammas (cooked, creamy fava beans), a national dish, are nearly as popular as years ago.However if you are looking for authentic and home-made halal food in Indianapolis then you have only few handpicked choices. But they are the best. Some of them offer free lunch delivery in Indianapolis.

Like any other cuisine Egyptian cuisine too offers plenty of vegetarian, non-vegetarian and sweet dishes. You can always look them up on internet but here are a few of my personal favourites.

Fulmudammas (cooked, creamy fava beans)
Most Americans are madcap fans of hummus another popular middle eastern dish but Fulmudammas made me forget all about hummus. A mixture of cooked fava beans and tahini, it is favourite power breakfast on the streets of Cairo.

Fatta
It is considered a Nubian dish and it is usually prepared for festivities and both Christian and Muslim holiday celebrations. It consists of layers of rice and fried bread, covered in a garlic and vinegar meat soup. Large chunks of stewed beef and deep-fried poached eggs are usually served along with the rice and bread base.

Taro/Colcasia Soup
Taro, or Qilqas as it is known in Egypt, is usually prepared by peeling the taro tubers then boiling them and preparing them in a broth with lemon juice, garlic and coriander. After it is cooked, the taro is mashed and the whole preparation is served as a dip with Egyptian flat bread.

Konafah
Konafah is an Egyptian sweet made of a very thin noodle-like pastry.Konafah is made by drizzling long rows of the thin noodles in their liquid state on a hot plate until they become dry and more rigid. The now-rigid noodles are then mixed with butter or oil and wrapped around a filling made out of nuts, whipped cream or both. It is baked and presented with fruit syrup on top.

Parthenon Restaurant food Indianapolis

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Parthenon Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in Indianapolis with a most delicious menu. We have a track record of satisfying our customers. Parthenon Restaurant operates on 14X7 bases; its facility is situated in the heart of city in Indianapolis. We also take halal food, lunch, dinner & catering orders for parties and religious occasions. 

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