Discover Palestinian Cuisine – Online Cooking Lessons Food is a central part of Palestinian culture, signifying family, togetherness, community, and celebration. Coming together over a good meal is an important part of everyday life and helps to make people feel connected to one another. 

So what is Palestinian food? It is similar to some other countries in the Middle East region but with a few significant differences. You’ll still find hummus, falafel, and shawarma, but there are many other delicious local dishes to try! 

A favourite of volunteers to Volunteer in Palestine (and a great dish during winter) is Maqlooba – consisting of chicken, vegetables like cauliflower and eggplant, and rice. Once it’s finished cooking, the pot is flipped upside down onto a large serving dish, ready for everyone to dig in and enjoy! Sweets made with semolina, dates and sugar syrup are also incredibly popular, especially during Ramadan. 

Since the pandemic, interest in online cooking classes has steadily grown. Why follow a recipe from a page by yourself, or wade through a long story online to get to the instructions, when you can watch along and learn from an expert in different cuisine! 

As food is such an important part of the culture in Palestine, taking an online cooking class is a great opportunity for Palestinian people to share a part of their lives that is a source of joy and community with the wider world, and help shift the negative idea of Palestinians that is usually portrayed in the media. 

What Are Online Palestinian Cooking Lessons?

Led by experienced teachers (and great cooks) from Volunteer in Palestine, your cooking classes will be done via live video. You can either watch the cooking process, or buy your own ingredients to follow along and cook together with your teacher. 

What kinds of food will you make? There are so many to choose from! Depending on how many hours of cooking classes you buy, you can either learn to make one dish or all of them! 

• Falafel: Arguably the most famous food from the Middle East region, it is surprisingly quick and easy to make Falafel. Impress your friends with this crowd-favorite. 
• Hummus: Another famous dish from the region, home-made hummus is 100 times better than anything you could buy at the store. Another quick and easy dish, you will learn how to make it from scratch, and how to make different variations. 
• Shakshuka: famous around the world, shakshuka is a breakfast staple made with tomatoes and eggs. Simple and delicious! 
• Palestinian Breakfast: Volunteers at Volunteer in Palestine rave about the daily breakfast spread that we all share together. Learn how to make an authentic Palestinian breakfast, along with tea and Arabic-style coffee. This one’s definitely best for sharing.  
• Kunefe: This decadent dessert is made with soft cheese and semolina and served warm with syrup. It’s so addictive that you won’t want to share! 
• Waraq Aynab: Similar to stuffed vine leaves from the Mediterranean, waraq aynab are grape leaves stuffed with a delicious, savoury filling. 
• Maqlooba: A favourite of guests at Volunteer in Palestine, maqlooba is a healthy and warming dish that’s perfect for feeding a crowd or for cold winter nights. 
• Mansaf: This delicious dish consists of spiced rice and chicken made with a local twist! 
• Daoud Basha (kofta with rice): Another crowd favourite, this dish combines vegetables, meat, and rice to create a lovely, savoury meal. 

Speak with our friendly staff at the Center to learn more about which dishes you might want to learn!

Why Learn Palestinian Cooking Online?

Learning Palestinian cooking online is a great way to expand your culinary knowledge from anywhere in the world, create cultural connections with people from different places, and support Palestinian communities. 

Learning from anywhere in the world: Overseas travel is not accessible to everyone. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a meaningful international experience right at home! Now that video is becoming more prevalent in the way that we work and communicate, it is also becoming more prevalent in the way that we learn. 

Cooking is about more than food; it’s also about connection to people and places. This is especially true when learning to cook food from another culture. Part of this cultural connection includes the history, stories, and traditions of different places – and Palestine has a long and rich past with plenty to learn about. 

Learning to cook Palestinian food online is also a great way to support the Palestinian people and cause. On a really practical level, income from online cooking classes helps to support local families and communities, especially women and children, with some extra income. On a less practical but no less important level, online cooking classes help Palestinian people share their culture with the wider world. 

What You’ll Need to Get Started

Palestinian food is generally simple and delicious – you don’t need to be a pro chef or even have a lot of cooking experience to be able to follow along. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the things you might want to source or 

Equipment

These recipes only require what most people will have in their kitchens already – knives, cutting boards, pots and pans. If a particular dish needs anything in particular, your teacher will make sure to let you know beforehand. 

Make sure you have a reliable device for video connection, as well as a reliable internet connection. It’s also good to make sure you are able to focus and be free of distractions for the duration of your class. 

Ingredients

Same as the equipment, the ingredients are things you could usually find in your local supermarket. Rice, chicken, vegetables, spices, legumes – these lay the foundations of Palestinian cooking. We can work with you to adjust the ingredients to suit any dietary requirements. 

Can I Source Authentic Palestinian Ingredients?

After the Nakba (or ‘catastrophe’) of 1948, many Palestinians were forced to flee their land after the state of Israel was established. As a result, the Palestinian diaspora is quite large and widespread. In many towns and cities, there are small shops or supermarkets that sell international food products and may stock some authentic Palestinian ingredients if you would like to try to cook with those. There are also options where you can shop online and have the necessary ingredients delivered to your door.

But don’t let sourcing Palestinian ingredients be a barrier to cooking Palestinian food! There are plenty of replacements and alternatives you can use that will make your food taste just as delicious. Any olive oil or kind of rice can do in a pinch, and most spices can be found in some form everywhere! 

If there’s something you’re really stuck with, you can always send our friendly team a message asking for their advice!

Tips

Get some of your people together! Palestinian dishes are made to be shared. So, while you can definitely cook for yourself, it’s in the spirit of Palestinian cuisine to share with family, friends, and neighbours too! 

How to Sign Up

It’s quick and easy to sign up for our online Palestinian cooking classes! 

Simply send an email to the team of Volunteer in Palestine, info@ecpalestine.org. Make sure to mention which timezone you are in and the dishes you might want to make, and ask any questions you have about the process! 

Palestinian Cuisine – Online Cooking Lessons – Conclusion

Learning to cook Palestinian food online is a great opportunity to connect with a rich culture, hear stories from Palestinian people, and support local communities. 

Whether you’re looking to expand your cooking skills, share a meaningful experience with loved ones, or simply enjoy delicious homemade meals, these classes offer an accessible and engaging way to do so. 

By joining an online Palestinian cooking class, you’re helping to preserve and share the traditions that make Palestinian cuisine so special. This is the best way to experience Palestinian culture short of travelling to Palestine. So gather your ingredients, invite some friends, and get ready to cook, learn, and connect! 

Find Us Online

Do you have questions for us regarding the Online Cooking Lessons That Bring Tradition to Your Kitchen or about one of our programs? Contact us via:

Email: info@ecpalestine.org

WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880

Website: https://volunteerinpalestine.org/

EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg

Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine