Najwa Sarkis Stone, a proud Lebanese American, makes some of the most delicious and addictive West Asian food. A hostess with great style and élan, an invitation to her home is like a call to a presidential gala. When I asked Najwa if she would share this recipe with me for American Masala, my second cookbook, she turned an easy task into a grand social affair. It was so much fun that I even forgot to jot down the recipe and had to recreate the salad from memory. After eating Fattoush around the world, I can safely attest that Najwa’s is the best – tart, crispy, crunchy and herbal. Don’t panic if you can’t find sumac. Many Lebanese cooks omit it and you can too.

  • Serves

    8

  • Cook Time

    00 h 45 m

Ingredients

  • 2 large pita bread, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 radishes, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 3-4 nicely ripe medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
  • 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped or roughly torn
  • 1 tsp ground sumac
  • 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for greasing the foil)
  • 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves and tender green stems
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Juice of 2 lemons

Preparation

  1. Heat your oven to 400°F (approx 204°C).
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, grease with a little olive oil, and set aside.
  3. Place the cucumber in a colander, toss with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and set aside for 30 minutes over a plate to drain.
  4. Toss the pita with 1/4 of the lemon juice and the sumac in a large bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  5. Arrange the seasoned pita in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy and dry, turning them over after 7 minutes. (You can toast the pita on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Since the air circulates beneath and above the pita, you don’t have to turn it midway through. Note that the pita will probably take less time to toast).
  6. Whisk the remaining lemon juice with the olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and the cracked pepper in a large bowl.
  7. Add the cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, scallions, coriander, mint and parsley, and toss to combine.
  8. Add the pita, toss to incorporate. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Written by

Suvir Saran

Suvir Saran, the Chef-Owner of The House of Celeste in Gurgaon, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for August. A legend in New York’s food circles, Chef Suvir garnered a Michelin star at Devi, a first for Indian cuisine restaurants in North America. He is the chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the Culinary Institute of America and has written three cookbooks: ‘Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food’, ‘American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen’ and ‘Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country’. His fourth book, ‘Instamatic: A Chef’s Deeper More Thoughful Look into Today’s Instaworld’, released earlier this year. Chef Saran’s approachable style helped demystify Indian cuisine in the US and ultimately formed American Masala, his culinary philosophy that celebrates the best of Indian and American cooking.

See more by Suvir Saran