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Zabarbada [Zîrbâja] of Fresh Cheese

Posted on 03/21/202203/24/2022 by Murienne

13th c Andalusian savory cheese spread recipe.

Take fresh cheese, clean it, cut it up and crumble it; take cilantro and onion, chop and throw over the cheese, stir and add spices and pepper, stir the pot with two spoons of oil and an equal quantity of water and salt, then throw this mixture in the pot and put on the fire and cook; when it is cooked, take the pot from the fire and cover with egg and some flour and serve.  – An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century, translated by Charles Perry

My Version

I made cheese by mixing whole milk with lemon juice. Once the curd was set I transferred it to a strainer lined with cheese cloth to drain out the rest of the whey. Once it was fully drained I crumbled the cheese.

To this I added finely chopped onion and cilantro.  Ground long pepper, cinnamon, coriander and cumin were then added to the cheese and it was mixed to distribute the ingredients.

Heat in a pan about ¼ cup of sesame oil, about the same of water and a large pinch of salt. Add the cheese mixture and cook while stirring to combine with the oil and water. Simmer the mixture while stirring for about 3-4 mins. Remove from the heat and add a beaten egg while stirring to keep the egg from scrambling. Once the egg is incorporated mix in flour to thicken the mixture to a spoonable dip.

I served the cheese dip with flat bread.

  • 250g fresh cheese (homemade, ricotta etc)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 C sesame oil
  • 1/4 C water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp flour

Sources

 An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century, translated by Charles Perry
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Andalusian/andalusian_contents.htm

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