......................................................... LOOMI
Loomi
Other names: leimoon Basra, leimoon aswad, leimoon omani
[LOOM-ee] To make loomi ripe limes are boiled in salt water then sun-dried until the flesh turns dark in color. The resulting spice, called loomi, is often used to impart a distinctive citrus aroma and a sour tang to and meat and legume dishes. In Iran powdered loomi is also used to flavor basmati rice. Dried limes are available in whole or powdered form.
Gourmet Sleuth
Black Lemons, or Loomi, are a Great Addition to Many Dishes
Black lemons are a popular ingredient in Persian cooking as well as some Arabic regions, especially Kuwait and Iraq. Contrary to popular belief, black lemons are not lemons at all - they are actually limes! Black lemons are called loomi in the Middle East. In the store they are sold under the name of black lemon, dried limes, and in gourmet or ethnic grocers, as loomi. You can also buy it in ground form.
If you have ever seen a black lemon, you know that they look unappealing to say the least. They are small and can range from a brownish- gray color to black. They are made by boiling fresh limes and left to sun dry. The result is a tangy, earthy flavor that is unique and delicious!
About.com: Middle Eastern Food
Many Kuwaiti dishes (just like Chicken Mechbous which I made couple of months ago) call for loomi. Loomi is dried and blackened lime. Its flavor is strong and unique. Grated lime peel is suggested as a substitute for loomi but the taste will a bit different.
Loomi made from ripe limes which are boiled in salt water and sun-dried until their interior turns dark. This spice is often used to impart a distinct citrus odour and a sour tang to legumes and meat dishes.
In Iran powdered loomi is also used to flavour basmati rice. Also called leimoon Basra, leimoon aswad and leimoon omani. Dried limes can be used in powdered form or whole (usually pierced).
from the
Yummy!! blog by Dita Salmiya, Kuwait
Friday, June 27, 2008
Loomi Tea
As you may remember from my very first Taste & Create experience, I was on a quest to find Loomi for my Kuwaiti Chicken Mechbous. Loomi are dried black limes (also called Omani and mistakenly marketed as "lemons"). The limes have been boiled in salt water and dried in the sun until they are blackened. Loomi have a very distinct odor and taste, not like anything I'd ever had.
My partner for the event, Dita, now has a beautiful picture and a description of loomi and its various other names here.
While I was researching a source for loomi, (although popular in the middle east, it is not readily available in the states), I ran across a recipe for loomi "tea." Unfortunately the link no longer works, but luckily I had already copied the recipe! I am sad to lose the contributor's name, but I couldn't get there today.
Loomi "tea" is supposed to be very refreshing when it is hot, so I thought it would be a perfect drink for summertime in the desert. Today, I set out to make it. My plan is to allow the loomi to steep all day, since I did not think to make this last night. This afternoon, when it is nice and hot outside, I will break out the ice cubes and have a nice refreshing, hopefully pleasant drink!
If you'd like to make some loomi tea for yourself, you can buy dried limes here, just search for "omani."
I crushed the limes (hard little things!) in my mortar and pestle. That's Sawed Off's little hand/finger, pointing at and saying "Tea! Tea!" The limes smell wonderful when they are freshly crushed, you'll have to take my word for it as I realize they don't look wonderful!
Floating in the pot of water they look a bit odd...
You can see that they have already started to color the water...and they do smell great!
I am intrigued. The limes have been boiled and are now steeping in the pot. I let the limes steep for several hours, basically until the mixture had cooled. I think it would be a good future plan to boil this in the evening, and then let steep overnight.
Then I strained the tea through cheesecloth into my pitcher, and then gathered up the cheesecloth and squeezed all the juice out of the limes. I added the sugar and mixed it up.
Served over ice, this is a very refreshing drink! It has an unusual flavor, but it is delicious. And there is no caffeine, and very little sugar. Excellent.
Here's the recipe:
Loomi Tea
As for most Middle-Eastern drinks, you have to use your own judgment for sugar and intensity of flavor. The recipe below is only a starting point. Add more loomi or sugar as you think fit.
8 Loomi Lemons, crushed (I used 9, why not)
1/2 cup or more to taste, sugar
1 gallon water
Add a gallon of water to loomi in a non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, turn off burner and cool. (I put a lid on the pot)
Strain and then add the sugar. Let sugar dissolve at room temperature.
Stir, taste for sugar and chill.
Serve chilled with ice cubes.
Note: You can also leave the loomi soaking in the gallon of water overnight. In the morning, bring to a boil, turn heat off and strain and add sugar. But the recipe above can be used when making it in a hurry.
Also, crush the loomi into small pieces using a mortar and pestle. This brings out the flavor and sourness. In old days I am told grandmas would use their hands to crush the loomi as they soaked in the water.
From
The Bad Girl's Kitchen.
Loomi
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whole loomi for sale in market in Manama, Bahrain. Loomi or black lemon is a traditional ingredient of Persian cooking made from dried limes. They can also be found in neighboring Arab countries, such as Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Loomi are made by boiling ripe limes in salt water, and then sun drying until the insides turn black. The outside color varies from tan to black. They are sold whole or ground.
Whole loomi for sale in market in Manama, Bahrain
Black lime (Loomi)
Citrus aurantifolia
Family: Rutaceae (citrus family).
Black limes are actually whole sun-dried limes which range in size from 1 - 1.5 in. (2.5-4 cm) diameter. They vary in color from pale tan to very dark brown, almost black with up to 10 darker tan longitudinal stripes running from 'pole to pole'. When broken open, remnants of black, sticky pith are revealed on the inside, and a pungent, fermented citrus aroma is released.
The limes are boiled in saltwater and dried in the sun until the inside flesh turns jet black and all but dissolves. The outer skin caves in on itself slightly and turns a mottled brown.
Origin
Citrus trees are indigenous to South-East Asia and the introduction of limes, which withstand hot conditions better than lemons, to the Middle East was probably by Moorish and Turkish invaders. Citron, the citrus that was familiar before oranges, was known to the Chinese in the fourth millennium and mentioned by the ancient Egyptians. Citron was cultivated in Southern Italy, Sicily and Corsica in the fourth century BC, and most citron for crystallized peel and perfumes still comes from Corsica.
The lemon was widely used from the Middle Ages on, however limes are often confused with lemons, and the history of lime trees is somewhat obscure. There are several types of limes, all of which are borne by trees somewhat smaller and bushier than lemons with a varying profusion of prickly spikes. The common lime of India and Asia is thin-skinned, sour and mouthwateringly juicy, while the lime trees grown in Europe and America have a different flavor and are believed to be a hybrid that is referred to as Tahitian lime. Persian limes taste different again, and it is these which were originally dried while still on the tree, possibly another accidental discovery made when a neglected crop that had dried in the parched summer sun were found to have such a beautiful taste.
Buying and Storage
Black limes can be bought from Middle Eastern food stores and specialty spice retailers. Dark tan to light-brown ones are generally best, however some of the very dark black limes have a greater pungency and depth of flavor, something which is desirable as long as they do not have signs of mold on them. They are tough to grind but you can sometimes find it in a course grind. Always store in an airtight container and avoid humidity.
Culinary Uses
The taste is surprisingly sweeter than expected and reminds me of those sweettart candies from my Halloween trick-or-treating days. They're strong enough to be the only tart component in many recipes, and Arabs take advantage of them liberally, in part because of their extended shelf life.
The highly aromatic, somewhat fermented flavor notes in black limes complement chicken and fish particularly well. Surprisingly, one or two pierced black limes in an oxtail stew give it a welcome degree of piquancy. When adding whole black limes to a dish or putting one in the cavity of poultry before cooking, make a few holes with a skewer or the tines of a fork to allow the cooking juices to infuse with the tasty inside. Black limes may also be pulverized and mixed with pepper to sprinkle on chicken and fish before grilling, as a substitute for lemon and pepper spice blends. In Iran powdered loomi is also used to flavour basmati rice.Dried limes can be used in powdered form or whole (usually pierced or crushed).
Other Names
dried lemons. dried limes, loomi, lumi, Oman lemons, leimoon Basra, leimoon aswad and leimoon omani, Noomi Basra, Omani and Amani
Recipes using Black Limes (loomi)
Quinoa Salad with Loomi
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 350g each)
7 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
200g mixed basmati and wild rice
200g quinoa
4 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
3 tbsp shredded sage leaves
3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp ground black lime (loomi)
6 tbsp shredded fresh mint
1 tsp lemon juice
160g feta, broken into chunks
4 spring onions, green part only, thinly sliced, plus extra to garnish
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut roughly into 2cm dice. Spread on an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper, drizzle with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, cook the rice as per the packet instructions. Put the quinoa in a pan with lots of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain into a fine sieve and leave to dry. Put the cooked and dry (but still warm) rice and quinoa in a large mixing bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan, then fry the garlic for 30 seconds, or until it turns light golden. Add the sage and oregano, and fry, stirring, for about a minute - make sure the herbs and garlic don't burn.
Tip the contents of the pan over the rice and quinoa, then stir in the roasted sweet potato and its oil. Add the dried lime, mint, spring onion, lemon juice, feta and salt and pepper, toss together gently, taking care not to mush up the sweet potato and feta, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve warmish, or at room temperature, garnished with spring onion.
Kuwaiti Chicken with Loomi and Baharat (Quwarmah Ala Dajaj)
Makes 4 Servings
3 lbs chicken, skinned and jointed (or use chicken breasts and cook for less time)
salt
1 3/4 teaspoons baharat mixed spice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup olive oil (or ghee)
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 stick cinnamon bark
1 cup tomato sauce (I use canned pureed tomatoes)
1/4 cup water
2 dried limes (loomi, or 1 1/2 tsp ground loomi))
1 cup frozen okra (optional)
Rinse and wipe chicken pieces dry and sprinkle with salt.
Combine baharat and turmeric and rub half onto chicken pieces. Leave for 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil and brown chicken pieces on each side. Remove to plate.
Add onion and fry gently until transparent.
Add garlic, ginger, remaining spice mixture, and cinnamon bark to the onion and fry for 5 minutes stirring often.
Add tomato sauce, water, salt to taste, and loomi pierced twice with a skewer or loomi powder. Bring to a high simmer.
Add chicken pieces and okra if using, reduce heat to low and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is tender and sauce is thick.
Serve with basmati rice and salad.
Persian Fish Stew
2 teaspoons each ground cumin, black pepper, cardomom and Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 whole Black Limes, pierced ( or 1 1/2 ground loomi)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 large green chilli, chopped
1 bunch each dill and coriander, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 cups water
4 white fish fillets
2 tablespoons plain flour
In a large pot, saute onions in 2 tablespoons oil.
Mix in garlic, chilli, dill, coriander, tomatoes, tomato paste, black limes and 2 teaspoons spice mix.
Add 2 cups water, stir, cover and keep warm while preparing fish.
Sprinkle remaining spice mixture on both sides of fish and dust with flour.
Fry lightly on both sides.
Transfer fish from pan to stewing pot. Add more water if needed to cover fish.
Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until fish is done.
Serve with rice.
from
the epicentre - encyclopedia of spices
Loomi Powder (Noomi Basara, Dried Lime, Black Lemon, Loomi Aswad by
UmmBinat
Kuwaiti Machboos Lahem Ma'a Dakkous (Lamb and Rice W/ Tomato Sau by
UmmBinat
Kuwaiti Chicken and Rice With Daqoos - Garlic Tomato Sauce by
UmmBinat
Kofta Mishmisheya (Lamb Meatballs in Apricot Sauce) by
Susiecat too
Lubia Polow by
Canuck Mum
Indian Meat Curry Topped With Eggplant by
Charishma_Ramchandani
Chicken With Mushrooms in lime gravy by
Charishma_Ramchandani
UmmBinat
Elmotoo
Cookgirl
!
I just meant I read that they don't have a separate word. Maybe that is wrong. Hopefully someone will come along who knows!!
