3 Middle Eastern Recipes From Our Favourite Vegetarian Restaurant Bubala
Since opening on Commercial Street at the end of 2019, Bubala has become well-loved for irresistible vegetarian dining in London and now houses a second restaurant in Soho, on Poland Street. Inspired by modern cafes in Tel Aviv, it has been designed with a counter-style bar and open kitchen, and manages to feel intimate without being overcrowded.
Executive Chef Helen Graham, who has worked alongside Ottolenghi, has created a fully vegetarian menu designed for sharing which revolves around the bold flavours of the Middle East. Making vegetables the star of every plate, rather than simply side dishes, we’d recommend noting Middle Eastern Restaurant Bubala a must-visit this winter. Can’t wait? Here are three of their most-loved recipes to try at home.
Black honey halloumi
Serves 4
Black honey halloumi
Serves 4
100g honey
½ tsp nigella seeds
Pinch of black pepper
½ tsp urfa chilli
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 blocks halloumi
1 lemon
Method
Blitz all seeds to fine powder and mix with honey
Slice halloumi thickly and then pan fry until golden. Sprinkle over some lemon zest and juice
Potato Latkes
Makes 24
1.5kg desiree potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 block butter
2.5 cloves garlic
Pinch of thyme
Method
Melt butter in pan together with thyme and garlic, leave to infuse
Layer potatoes in lined gastro, sprinkle of salt and pepper between each layer. Strain butter
and pour over, leaving to stand for 10 mins.
Cover and cook at 150c for 2 hours. Remove and press with another gastro and weight. Chill
until completely cold. Remove and portion 20x5cm. Deep fry in veg oil to serve.
Latkes: 24
Portion: 4 (200g)
6 portions
Toum to serve with
38g garlic
½ tsp maldon salt
20g lemon juice
1/2 egg white
100g oil
Blend until white puree and fluffy for about 5 mins and then slowly add oil.
Note from chef Helen:
Important thing is that they are baked in a dish small enough to allow for a good depth. You want them to be about 2 inches deep after pressed. We use a regular sized gastro for 6kg so if you were to make a 3kg batch I would recommend something similar to these dimensions.
Bubala’s Charred oyster mushroom skewers, tamari, coriander seed, agave
Makes 6 skewers
For the marinade:
225ml tamari
120g agave/maple syrup
200ml rapeseed/neutral flavoured oil
10g garlic
10g coriander seeds
For the skewers
400g oyster mushrooms
6 wooden skewers
Method
Put the tamari, half of the agave and oil in a mixing bowl. Finely grate the garlic, add to the tamari mix and whisk to combine. Set a pan on medium heat, gently toast the coriander seeds until fragrant and add to the tamari mix.
2. Add the mushrooms to the marinade, toss to coat and leave for half an hour. Whilst the mushrooms are marinating, soak the skewers in cold water – this stops them from catching alight on the grill. After half an hour, thread the mushrooms onto the skewers, distributing them evenly between the six.
3. Pass the remaining skewers marinade through a sieve and into a small saucepan. Add the remaining agave syrup, mix in and set on a medium – high heat. Reduce into the mix becomes syrupy – it will bubble up when it has thickened sufficiently. You can test the consistency by spooning some onto a plate and chilling -if you can drag a finger through the mix and it stays put, it is ready.
