by Gil Marks
Because of the central role of the sweet foods in the Eliyahoo Hannabi, malida is commonly used as a synonym for the entire ceremony. It is typically performed at home in private, although some synagogues stage communal ceremonies and many Bene Israel annually trek to Khandala, the site of the prophet's second visit, for a community malida, especially on Tu b'Shevat. Some Bene Israel, even those traveling from across the globe, make a pilgrimage once a year or more for a communal malida at the Beth-El Synagogue, built in 1849, in Panvel, outside of Mumbai. In Israel, Bene Israel substitute Elijah's Cave on Mount Carmel as the site of pilgrimage for the malida. Although the Bene Israel adopted various Western Jewish practices and the majority now reside outside of India, malida still constitutes their most distinctive and defining food and custom—it is an enduring and cherished marker of their identity.
Mumbai Sweet Rice Flakes (Malida)
4 to 6 servings
[PAREVE]
Reduce the amount of sugar by about one-fourth, if using sweetened coconut.
3 1/3 cups (about 20 ounces) thick flaked rice (poha)
1 medium coconut, grated (about 3 cups/ 20 ounces)
About 1 cup (6 ounces) ground jaggery (raw sugar crystals) or 2 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar
12 to 16 cardamom pods, crushed, or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup almonds, blanched and sliced lengthwise
1 cup pistachios, blanched and sliced lengthwise
1. Soak the flaked rice in cold water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut, jaggery, and cardamom. Stir in the rice. Add the raisins and nuts. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Malpua
Malpua is a sweet fritter or pancake.
Origin: northern India
Other names: maal pua, malpuah.
Plain pancakes are favorite Indian breakfast fare. More elaborate pancakes are made by adding mashed banana for flavor and sweetness. When the pancake or fritter (pua) is served with a syrup it becomes a malpua. A favorite malpua of the Bene Israel of Mumbai consists of banana chunks, pineapple pieces, or other fruit slices, that are dipped into a batter and deep-fried. In many households, malpua is served on Hanukkah and Purim and during the monsoon season (Sawan), frequently with kheer (creamy rice or cornstarch pudding).
Mumbai Fritters (Malpua)
about 24 small fritters
[DAIRY or PAREVE]
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, or 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (maida) and ¾ cup fine semolina (sooji)
½ cup sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom or 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (optional)
A few strands of saffron (optional)
1 cup milk, coconut milk, or water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut or vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter) for deep-frying
6 medium bananas, cut crosswise into 1½- to 2-inch-long pieces, or 8 slices pineapple, cut into quarters
Confectioners' sugar for dusting or chinir ros (sugar syrup) or radbi (Indian milk syrup) for drizzling
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and, if using, cardamom and/or saffron. In a medium bowl, blend together the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture to make a thick batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
2. In a large pot, heat at least 1 inch oil over medium heat to 375°F.
3. Dip the banana pieces into the batter. In batches, fry the banana pieces, turning occasionally, until puffed and golden brown on all sides, about 1½ minutes per side. Remove with tongs or a wire-mesh skimmer and drain on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or drizzle with the syrup. Serve warm or cooled. You can keep the fritters warm in a 250°F oven while preparing the remaining fritters.
Malsouka
Malsouka, also called dioune and malsuqa, is a Tunisian variation of phyllo dough. It is traditionally composed of semolina flour and water and, unlike phyllo, dried by heat. Malsouka is used to make brik and other flaky pastries.
Tajine malsouka is the Tunisian version of the Moroccan pastilla (pigeon pie); the filling is sandwiched between layers of malsouka in a terra-cotta tagine and cooked over a fire. This festive dish is prepared for Friday night dinner or holidays.
(See also Phyllo and Warka)
Mamaliga
Mamaliga is cornmeal mush.
Origin: Romania
Other names: Bulgaria: kachamak; Georgia: gomi; Hungary: puliszka; Italy: polenta; Romania: terci de malai; Serbia: kachamak; Ukraine: kulesha, mamalyga.
Mamaliga is the quintessential nostalgia food for any Romanian, the one and perhaps only common denominator uniting people from all classes, regions, and religions. It is memorialized in one of the most famous songs of the Yiddish theater, "Roumania, Roumania."—"A Mamaliga, a pastrami, a Karnatzele, and a glass of wine!"
From the time of the Etruscans until the middle of the seventeenth century, the peasants of the Italian Peninsula and the Balkans subsisted on starch porridges known as puls or pulmentum. These porridges were usually made of millet, barley, or chestnut flour, and were cheaper and easier to make than bread. Romanians called the yellowish millet porridge mamaliga (food of gold) to differentiate it from the darker barley porridge. In 1650, the Ottoman Turks brought cornmeal to the Balkans with the express intention that the peasants would use it in porridges, leaving the preferred wheat for the Turks. At the time, much of eastern Europe was ravaged and enduring famine because of the Ottoman advances, which culminated in the siege of Vienna in 1683. It is probable that, due to the Turkish control of the Balkans, cornmeal mush first became widespread in Romania before northern Italy. Indeed, Italians called corn grano turco (Turkish grain). Whichever country it reached first, this hearty porridge became the staple of the impoverished masses of this stretch of land of the Roman Empire. Due to the traditionally high consumption of both legumes and dairy products in those countries, the population was able to make the transition to cornmeal without incurring nutritional deficits.
No nation so wholeheartedly embraced cornmeal mush as Romania, and the subsequent demographic expansion of both its Jewish and non-Jewish population corresponded to cornmeal's popularization. By the end of the seventeenth century, the masses of Romania had replaced the traditional grains in their gruel with the cheaper and more versatile cornmeal (farina de malai).
Preparing mamaliga became a daily morning ritual, replete with its own equipment and traditions, in most Romanian and northern Italian households. A special concave copper or cast-iron cauldron called a ceaun (paiolo in Italy) typically sat in the hearth on a pirostrii (iron tripod) or hung from a chain in the center of the main room. There housewives, having risen early, boiled water over an open wood fire, added the right amount of salt, then very gradually dribbled in a calculated measure of cornmeal, frantically stirring, in only one direction, with a melesteu (bastoni in Italy), a special long-handled wooden stick. If the cornmeal was added too quickly or cooked at too high a temperature, it would seize up, resulting in a gummy texture and raw flavor. Constant stirring was necessary for even cooking and to prevent the dreaded lumps, whimsically called in Yiddish shikshalach. With her free hand, the housewife might nurse a baby or help dress an older child. After all the cornmeal was successfully doled into the pot, the mamaliga was continuously stirred over a low flame until thickened, producing a smooth, creamy texture and sweet flavor. Romanian mamaliga tended to be denser—it was firm enough to be cut into slices—than the softer polenta preferred in the Veneto. The traditional test to determine if the mamaliga was done was to moisten the handle of a wooden spoon with cold water and dip the tip into the mamaliga—if the handle came out clean, the mamaliga was done. When the mamaliga had achieved the desired consistency, it was poured onto a special wooden board called a madia, then cut using a string or wire. This tr
aditional method of making mamaliga required more than an hour and proved so exhausting that the very word became a popular Romanian term for a person lacking energy.
For generations of Romanians, mamaliga was served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and used as a porridge, casserole, croquette, and bread substitute. Since mamaliga could be served with either dairy or meat dishes, it was ideal for any meal, and became a beloved feature of Romanian Jewish cuisine. There were numerous variations of the basic mamaliga. Some cooks enhanced it with cheese or buttermilk, while many preferred the pure corn flavor. For breakfast, it was usually served fresh, soft, and warm with butter, sour cream, brinza or kashkaval cheese, honey, or fruit preserves. Pickles or other sours almost always accompanied mamaliga. Sometimes leftover mamaliga from the previous day was cut into slices and fried. School children and workmen frequently carried balls of firm mamaliga in their pocket to satisfy their hunger during the day. For lunch, slices of fresh mamaliga were served with a stew, such as guvetch (vegetable stew), toscana (meat stew), or fasole (cooked beans). Dinner frequently consisted of slices of mamaliga served with a selection of raw or fried onions or scallions, cheese, and sour cream, the firm pieces of mush performing like bread. Wheat bread was rare in Romania, except for the Sabbath and festivals.
In the early nineteenth century, a few Romanian Jews immigrated to America, and beginning in 1880, they began arriving in both America and Israel in large numbers, bringing with them a love of mamaliga. It was most certainly these early Romanian Jews who introduced the word mamaliga to America, although the term was subsequently supplanted by polenta. For the next half century, mamaliga was a staple of many impoverished tenement residents on Manhattan's Lower East Side. However, as their descendants became acculturated and more affluent, they generally rejected the stodgy, time-consuming fare. Fewer housewives made it and only a very few Jewish restaurants continued to offer it. Mamaliga retained a bit more of its popularity in Israel and can still be found in eateries with a Balkan menu. Ironically, this peasant dish has more recently become popular fare as polenta in chic restaurants in the United States, as it melds with many flavors both delicate and robust.
In Romania, mamaliga was almost always made from yellow cornmeal, except on very important occasions; mamaliga made from white cornmeal was served on Shavuot, as the white color symbolized purity. A dish of creamy, piping-hot mamaliga fresh from the stove is enough to bring a tear of joy to a Romanian's eye.
(See also Corn/Cornmeal and Malai)
Romanian Cornmeal Mush (Mamaliga)
about 7 cups/6 to 8 servings
[PAREVE or DAIRY]
7 cups water
About 2½ teaspoons table salt or 5 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups (9.25 ounces) medium-grind cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
¼ to ½ cup (½ to 1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine (optional)
1. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt. For thicker mamaliga intended for solidifying, use the 7 cups water; for softer porridge similar to polenta, increase the water to 8 cups. Using a long wooden spoon or whisk, in a slow, steady stream, stir in the cornmeal, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. It can take up to 10 minutes to add all the cornmeal. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is creamy and thick and begins to pull away from sides of the pan, about 20 minutes.
3. For softer mamaliga, stir in the butter and serve warm. For firm mamaliga, remove from the heat, dip a wooden spoon into cold water, and use it to scrape the mamaliga from the sides and toward the center of the pot. Place the pot over medium heat and let stand without stirring until the steam loosens the mamaliga from the bottom, 1 to 3 minutes.
4. Pour the hot mamaliga onto a large wooden board, at least 18 inches in diameter, an inverted large baking sheet, or a large serving platter. Spread into a rectangle ½ to 1 inch thick and let stand until set.
5. Using thin twine or dental floss, cut into rectangles or squares. Use the slices like bread or as a bed for a stew or sauce.
Mandelbrot
Mandelbrot is a twice-baked cookie, originally made with almonds.
Origin: Germany
Other names: Ukraine: kamish brot, komish brot; Yiddish: mandelbroit.
In the early Middle Ages, Italians began preparing thin individual crisp breads called biscotti (twice cooked) by partially baking the dough in loaf form, then cutting it in half (later into slices) and briefly returning the pieces to a cooler oven to crisp. The second cooking extracts most of the moisture and greatly lengthens the shelf life. Around the thirteenth century, following the introduction of sugar in Europe in nonmedicinal roles, Tuscans (purportedly initially in the city of Prato or perhaps in the ghetto of Venice) began adding it to some biscotti doughs. Sweetened biscotti—commonly flavored with anise, almond, or hazelnut—soon became the most widespread type. The original hard, dense biscotti contained no fat and, therefore, were typically eaten dipped into sweet wine, brandy, or, later, coffee.
The cookies spread to central Europeans, who primarily flavored them with bitter almonds and eventually called them mandelbrot. Brot is German and Yiddish for "bread" and mandel is German and Yiddish meaning "almond."
When and how these cookies were adopted by Ashkenazim is unknown. By at least the early nineteenth century, the cookie was certainly well-known in central Europe among Jews and non-Jews. Mandelbrot, like many Jewish baked goods, may have arisen in Germany and traveled eastward. The first record of mandelbrot in Jewish circles was its use as a Polish and Lithuanian surname. Jews bearing this name include Szolem Mandelbrojt (1899—1983), a Polish-born mathematician from a Lithuanian background, and his nephew, Benoît Mandelbrot (b. 1924), who is considered the "father of fractal geometry." (Thus the Mandelbrot Competition is in mathematics, not baking.)
Twice-baked cookies became a favorite Ashkenazic cookie. Its relatively easy preparation and long shelf life made it ideal for the Sabbath; and it could also be served to unexpected company during the week, typically with hot tea. The first edition of The Settlement Cook Book (Milwaukee, 1901) contained a recipe for "Koumiss Bread." This Ukrainian version consisted of flour, eggs, sugar, almonds, and a little lemon juice and zest.
The modern form of mandelbrot emerged in the early twentieth century when inexpensive oils from various seeds became available. Baking powder was also commonly added at that time. At this point, mandelbrot became lighter and fluffier than biscotti. Cooks also began to sometimes replace the original almonds with new items—including dried fruit, other nuts, and chocolate chips—although the name of the cookie was retained even when almonds were absent. A Passover variation emerged in which matza cake meal was substituted for the flour. By the 1940s, mandelbrot had become a standard of sisterhood cookbooks and Jewish bakeries. It was typically made with oil or shortening—there was never butter in true mandelbrot. Some cooks used mandelbrot crumbs in strudel in place of bread crumbs.
In the 1980s, mandelbrot were largely eclipsed by biscotti, which suddenly had a greater cachet, although they had previously been unknown in America outside of Italian circles. This phenomenon occurred even though many brands of "biscotti" added fat to the cookies for tenderness, making them in essence mandelbrot. American gourmet shops readily stocked biscotti, but not products labeled "mandelbrot." At least two small American mandelbrot manufacturers switched the name of their products to biscotti, but not the ingredients, to increase sales. Still other companies have held steady to the haimish name and some homes still feature a tin of these cookies for a snack or guests, whether they are called mandelbrot, komishbrot (Yiddish meaning "funny bread"), or biscotti.
Ashkenazic Almond Cookies (Mandelbrot)
about forty ½-inch-thick slices
[PAREVE]
2¼ cups (11.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
; 1/8 teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or ¾ teaspoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, preferably lightly toasted, or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup almonds
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the sheet and dust with flour.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture to make a soft and only slightly sticky dough. Stir in the nuts.
3. With floured hands, place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, and form into a loaf 2½ inches wide, 1 inch thick, and about 12 inches long. Smooth the top.
4. Bake until firm and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to 300°F.
6. Transfer the loaf to a flat surface. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into ½-inch-thick slices. Place the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until lightly golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the slices to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Mandlen
Mandlen are deep-fried or baked pasta puffs that are served in soup.
Origin: Eastern Europe
Other names: Hebrew: shkedim, shkedei marak.
"Who says that Jews can only be traders, and eat fat soup with mandlen, but cannot be workingmen?" (Line from the twentieth-century Yiddish socialist folk song "Hey Zhankoye.")
