egyptian

Hummus is fine, but the real power legume of the Middle East is the fava bean. Ful medames is the Egyptian breakfast dish of favas stewed with tahini and seasoned with garlic, cumin, and lemon. This creamy, comforting version is much like what you'll find around the streets of Cairo.

Ful Medames (Egyptian Breakfast Fava Beans With Tahini) Recipe

garlic

cumin seeds,

Kosher salt

fava beans

tahini

lemon juice

Put garlic cloves, cumin seeds, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and crush until seeds are cracked and garlic is in small, flimsy chunks. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, mince garlic very fine.

Empty fava beans (with liquid) into a medium saucepan and combine with tahini and garlic paste. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until liquid retains some brothiness but turns thick and sauce-like, about 5 minutes. 

Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Mash one third of the beans with a potato masher to thicken if desired, then serve with toasted pita. 

Koshari is a classic Egyptian dish made from rice, lentils and pasta. It's often served by street vendors and is prepared in large pots.

Egyptian koshari

extra virgin olive oil

brown onions, thinly sliced

cumin seeds

cinnamon

tsp mixed spice

tsp Massel vegetable stock powder

green lentils,

macaroni

rice

tomatoes, chopped

eschalot, thinly sliced

flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn

tsp white vinegar

Kahk are traditional Eid cookies originating from Egypt. They have a circular shape, a buttery crumb, and can be made plain or with a variety of fillings. Don’t forget to dust the cookies with lots and lots of powdered sugar!

Kahk (Egyptian Eid Cookies) -- with Agameya Date paste fillings

Tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

all-purpose flour

Tablespoons honey

½ Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Tablespoon finely chopped almonds (or other nut of choice)

(roughly

Tablespoon butter (or ghee)

cinnamon powder

½ kg (4 cups) all purpose flour

baking powder

salt

cinnamon powder*

300 g (1 1/3 cups) ghee (clarified butter)

milk

Melt the ghee in a small saucepan over...

Melt the ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook till the mixture turns light golden brown. Make sure to whisk constantly with a small whisk.

Add honey and bring to a boil. Make...

Add honey and bring to a boil. Make sure to stir constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn heat to low-medium, and cook till the honey starts to thicken. The consistency should be of a thick pourable sauce, but not hardened. If a candy thermometer is available, this is what is called the soft ball stage, 234-240F (112-116C). Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds along with the finely chopped nuts. Stir through, and then transfer the agameya to a small bowl. Let the mixture cool till it is firm, but still soft enough to shape. In the case the mixture hardens too much, warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Grease hands with oil, and then roll the...

Grease hands with oil, and then roll the agameya into small teaspoon sized balls. Use a small cookie scoop or teaspoon to help with scooping out the filling. Place the agameya balls on a parchment paper lined tray and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Place the pitted Medjool dates in a food...

Place the pitted Medjool dates in a food processor, and pulse until a paste is formed. If a food processor isn’t available, it is possible to chop the dates finely using a sharp knife.

Place butter in a small saucepan over low...

Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat and let it melt.

Add the chopped dates along with the cinnamon...

Add the chopped dates along with the cinnamon powder and stir together.

Stir the dates till a soft paste is...

Stir the dates till a soft paste is formed. If necessary, add ½ - 1 tablespoon of water.

Once the paste is formed, take the dates...

Once the paste is formed, take the dates out of the saucepan, and let the paste cool.

Once the date paste is cool, make small...

Once the date paste is cool, make small teaspoon sized balls of the date mixture. Just like you did with the agameya filling. (Grease your hands with oil if necessary.) Place the date paste balls on a parchment paper lined tray and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Place the flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder and...

Place the flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix with a spoon and set aside.

Place ghee (clarified butter) in a large bowl,...

Place ghee (clarified butter) in a large bowl, and add the powdered sugar / icing sugar. Use an electric beater to whisk together till light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Add the flour mixture to the ghee and...

Add the flour mixture to the ghee and sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. (The flour will get coated in the ghee / clarified butter and have a crumbly texture.)

Add the milk and mix again. The dough...

Add the milk and mix again. The dough is ready when it can be formed into a ball and doesn’t crack when pressed. In case the dough hasn’t come together, add another tablespoon of milk or a tablespoon of flour, as required.

Cover the dough with a cloth, and let...

Cover the dough with a cloth, and let it rest it in a cool place or the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Just before you start to roll your cookies,...

Just before you start to roll your cookies, preheat your oven to 180 C (355F) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough...

Use a tablespoon to scoop out the dough and roll between your palms to form individual balls. The dough balls should be double the size of the filling balls. (It is important to make sure the dough balls are all the same size, so that they bake evenly.)

To stuff the kahk cookies, place a ball...

To stuff the kahk cookies, place a ball of dough in your hand, and make an indentation using your thumb. Place the filling ball (agameya or date filling) in the center and wrap the remaining dough around it. Roll it into a smooth ball again. The kahk cookies can also be made plain without any filling.

Make an indentation on the top of the...

Make an indentation on the top of the kahk cookies using a fork. (There are special kahk molds available, but basic kitchen utensils can also be used.)

For agameya cookies – don’t make any indentations...

For agameya cookies – don’t make any indentations as the filling can ooze out if there are cracks on top.

Place the prepared kahk cookies on a baking...

Place the prepared kahk cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure there is space between each cookie.

Bake in a pre-heated oven on 180 C...

Bake in a pre-heated oven on 180 C (355F) for about 15 – 18 minutes until the bottom is browned, and the top is pale golden. The filled cookies will bake more quickly than the plain ones.

Remove from the oven and let the cookies...

Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

When the cookies have cooled, place them on...

When the cookies have cooled, place them on a platter and dust generously with powdered sugar. This step is particularly important. The cookies aren’t too sweet, and the powdered sugar not only looks beautiful, but also adds sweetness to the cookies.

Spice up your next dinner party with this middle eastern eggplant dish.

Eggplant mesa'a'ah (egyptian spiced eggplant) recipe

eggplants,

21/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil,

onion, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

tomato paste

tsp cumin

tomatoes,

tsp caster sugar

Chargrilled pita bread, to serve

tsp coriander

Serve this nutty spice mix with toasted pitta and olive oil or use in a dish to add some Egyptian spice

Dukkah

blanched hazelnuts

fennel seeds

coriander seeds

tbsp sesame seeds

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix everything together in a bowl then spread over a baking tray and cook for 8-10 mins until the dukkah looks toasted.

Tip into a food processor and pulse a few times just until the nuts are chopped not smooth.

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Top 5 egyptian recipes from across the web

The most viewed egyptian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

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Dukkah

The most viewed egyptian recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine