Cookery Around the World - Egypt

My culinary searches this year took me to the shores of the Nile, the cradle of all civilisation. Most of my researches were in the Souks of Luxor and Aswam, and I travelled between the two on a luxurious cruise ship.  There the food was bizarrely European - or maybe international.  Wonderfully decorated weird dishes - cold pumpkin and rice crispies was the most unmemorable!  The rice was excellent, and cooked in a dozen different ways.  As in so many countries the bread was delicious - their tradition goes back to the Pharohs.

Saffron is great value, and there are many spices that we never see in Ireland.  The blue powder is not Egyptian Viagra, but washing powder! 

Arabic Seven Spice (Bokharat) is mixture of spices you can buy ready at any Middle Eastern grocery. If you don't have one where you live, you can make using the following.

2 tablespoons ground black pepper    1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons paprika                        1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground cumin                1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground coriander            1/2    teaspoon ground cardamom

 

I am not sure what the health officer would make of the bakery, but the ovens were so hot that they would kill anything!

A Recipe for Egyptian Bread

Ingredients

1) 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour.
2) 7 oz. water.
3) 1/2 tsp. salt.
4) 1/4 oz. Dry Yeast.

1) Put flour and salt in an oversized bowl.
2) Mix Dry Yeast with the water.
3) Slowly add water.
4) Take turns kneading the dough.

5) Spread flour on a clean, flat surface.
6) Roll dough into small balls.
7) Form balls into flat round shapes or triangles.
8) Cover with a cloth for one to two hours only.

In one to two hours:
Bake bread on a greased sheet for 30 minutes at 350 Degree heat.

 

Egyptian cuisine has been influenced by Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian traditions;  The variety of Egyptian recipes is endless.  As a result of  colonization there are lots of foreign influences, especially from the Turkish cuisine (it is understandable after more than 300 years of Turkish presence in Egypt). The "Pashas" living in Cairo mainly employed the natives as help and cooks.

 

Eating is a social event for Egyptians. They usually eat three meals a day, as well as light snacks. Flat-bread is the main part of the Egyptian meal. Egyptian bread is whole wheat, round and hollow, and can be filled with beans, meat, vegetables or cheese.

The typical breakfast consists of tea and foul, or beans, bread and cheese or eggs and jam. Sweet pastries such as halawa and baklava also may be eaten at breakfast. The afternoon family meal, eaten around 3:00 p.m., is more elaborate and consists of cooked chicken, beef or lamb, fish, vegetables with rice, salads and pickles. A light supper at 8:00 p.m. includes yogurt, fruit or cheese. A traditional dessert is basboussa, a sweet cake made with yogurt, semolina, butter and milk covered with syrup. Egyptians eat a variety of vegetables. Okra, eggplant and melokhia, a green leafy vegetable which is chopped and cooked in soups, are favourites.  Snacks include fresh breads sided with tahini or humus, and seasoned rice.

  

 For our next classes please click here

 

An Egyptian Buffet and Mezze for your next dinner party?  Call me to discuss menus.

ALIX GARDNER’S COOKERY 

71 Waterloo Road, Dublin 4 

Tel. 01 668 1553 E-mail dublincookery@yahoo.com

 

 
Bamya (Meat and Okra Stew)
    Ingredients:
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil.
  • 2 lb (1 kg) stewing lamb or beef, cut into 1 in cubes.
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 cup (6oz/185 g) peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup stock (beef) or water, or as needed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (optional)
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1-1 1/2 lb (500-750 g) okra
  • juice of 1 lemon

     
    Instructions:
    Note:
    Okra must be cooked so that its slimy texture is eliminated. The Greeks have the best technique for achieving this. Trim the conical tops with a sharp knife, then soak the okra in red wine-viegar (Khall) for 30 minutes, allowing 1/2 cup vinegar per pound. Drain, rinse and dry the okra and proceed with the recipe. This dish is popular throughout the Middle East and can be prepared with lamb or beef. Serve with rice.

    Preheat an oven to 325 F (165 C)

    In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 4 tablespoons of the butter or oil. Working in batches, add the meat and fry, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer to a baking dish or stew pot.

    Add the onions to the fat remaining in the frying pan and saute over medium heat until tender and translucent, 8-10 mins. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, tomatoes, tomato paste, the 1 cup stock and mint (if using). Stir well. Pour over the meat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and bake until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 1/2 Hrs. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

    Meanwhile, prepare the okra as directed in the note above. In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons butter or oil Add the okra and saute for 3 mins, stirring gently. Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the okra on top in a spoke pattern. Sprinkle the lemon juice evenly over the surface. Re-cover the dish and return it to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes longer. Add stock or water if the mixture seems too dry. Serve the "BAMIA" stew piping hot.

    Serves 4.

     

Bamya Bil Takhdi'a (Okra Casserole)
    Ingredients:
  • 2 Package frozen cut bamya
  • 1-2 Lb of cut lamb meat (you may use beef) cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes.
  • 1 medium onion (fine chopped)
  • 2-3 crushed and fine chopped cloves of garlic
  • 1 Tbs oil (to counteract the high fat in lamb)
  • 2 diced bell peppers
  • 1 small can of tomato paste

     
    Instructions:
    Heat the oil and sautee the onions and garlic till the onions become translusecent. Drop the the meat and brown it, here if you care for for your diet and weight you may drain the fat other wise do not, add the contents of the paste with one can full of water. Simmer until the the tomato boils and thickens a bit drop the Okra, bell pepper and simmer on low till done.

     
Basbusa
    Ingredients:
  • 2lbs cream of wheat
  • 2.5 cups sugar
  • 3/4 lb. butter
  • 16 oz. plain yogurt
  • slivered almond halves

     
    Instructions:
    Bring all to room temperature. In a large bowl mix sugar and cream of wheat. Add butter, mix by hand rubbing between your palms for at least 10 minutes until the mixture becomes very well blended.

    Then add the yogurt and mix the same way until the dough feels smooth in your hand. If it feels dry add one tablespoon at a time of water so when you hold it in your hand it feels like a pie dough.

    In a buttered 13/9/2 pan pat the dough down with your hand flat. With a sharp knife slice the dough in 2 x 2 inche squares or into diamond shapes.

    Press one almond half onto the surface of each piece. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Rice Bil Shareyah (White Rice With Browned Fideo Noodles)
    Ingredients:
  • 2 cups short-grain white rice
  • 1/4 cup fideos, noodles (shareyah).
  • 1/4 cup butter or oil
  • salt
  • 3 cups water
    This is a staple in all Egyptian households. Its super simple, but looks and tastes great! Make it place of plain white rice and serve with any dish.

    Instructions:

  • In a saucepan add butter or oil and melt.
  • Add fideo noodles and stir until a golden brown.
  • Add white rice, stir until rice is white opaque color.
  • Add 3 cups water, salt and stir.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Turn heat to super low, cover and cook for approximately 25 minutes.
  • You can check rice by tasting after 25 minutes.
 Faatah (Rice & Meat With Crispy Bread on Bottom)
    Ingredients:
  • 1 lb stew meat
    1 onion
    1 chicken bouillon cube
    2 fresh tomatoes, blended in blender to make smooth
    4 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
    2 cups short-grain white rice (Egyptian rice)
    1/4 cup fideos, noodles
    1/4 cup butter
    2 cups oil, some for frying bread
    1 white pita bread
    1 1 tablespoon cumin
    salt & pepper
    3 tablespoons white vinegar
    This is a staple in all Egyptian houselholds. Its super simple, but looks and tastes great! Make it place of plain white rice and serve with any dish.

    Instructions:

  • To prepare bread for bottom of dish: Take pita bread and rip into bite size pieces. In a frying pan, add about a 1/4 stick of butter, add bread pieces and fry until golden brown and crisp. Put these pieces in a glass baking dish, preferably a square sized dish. Set aside.
  • Then add to same pan, a little more butter, salt, approximately 2 cloves of crushed fresh garlic, and a teaspoon or so of cumin stir around a bit until you can smell aroma, then add fried bread pieces to this mixture, stir to coat bread and put back into glass baking dish. Set aside.
  • To prepare meat: put some butter in a pot, stir fry meat until brown, add 1 onion quartered, salt & pepper, 1 cube of chicken bouillon and water to cover meat. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover and cook until tender, approximately 2 hours. After meat has cooled, take out chunks of meat and put in a bowl, set aside. Reserve soup from the meat separately.
  • To prepare the rice: Put some butter into a pot, add shareya (fideo noodles) like a handful or so, keep stirring until golden brown, not too dark, but very golden. Then add two cups of rice, stir a little bit until some of the rice turns an opaque white. Add 2-1/4 cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer, cook until tender. Test the rice tenderness after about 35 minutes.
  • Now take some of the soup from meat and add to the top of the bread pieces in baking dish to saturate.Add cooked rice on top of bread pieces. Slowly spoon remainder of soup onto rice, looking at glass dish sides to see level of soup, should reach just to top of rice, don’t worry, this doesn’t have to be exact. Now you’re ready to make the sauce and fry the meat to put on top.
  • To prepare red sauce: In a pan, add a little oil or butter, crushed tomato, a half teaspoon of tomato paste, salt & pepper, 2 cloves of fresh crushed garlic and cumin. Add also approximately 3 tablespoons of vinegar, stir this until you smell aroma and it is a bit smooth. It should be a bit thick, not watery, but if too thick you can add a bit of water. Spread with a wooden spoon atop the rice to cover.
  • To fry meat: In a pan add a bit of butter or oil, the meat, just a touch of tomato paste, about a tablespoon of fresh crushed garlic, salt & pepper, a teaspoon of cumin. Cook until meat is golden fried.
  • Spoon this atop the rice and serve.
Kefta ( Meatballs)
    Ingredients:
  • 1 Lb Ground lamb 
  • 1 ts Salt 1/2 ts 
  • Course ground pepper 
  • Watercress 
  • Chopped flat parsley
Combine meat , salt and pepper, Form into 5 or 6 four inch ovals. Thread on skewer and grill 5 minutes until brown, turn and grill other side. Serve on a bed of watercress. Profusely sprinkle with chopped parsley. Accompany with pita bread