What's a good easy Egyptian recipe?

Question

Please dont tell me cous cous. Also something with easily available ingredients.

Answer 1

Egyptian Koshary Pasta

This meatless dish layers common grains, such as rice, lentils and pasta with a tomato-cinnamon flavored sauce.

Ingredients:

    2 cups cooked rice

    2 cups cooked penne pasta

    2 tablespoons white vinegar

    1 teaspoon Ground Cumin , divided

    1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

    1 cup cooked lentils

    1 can (15 ounces)  crushed tomatoes

    1/2 cup water

    1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

    3/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/4 teaspoon  Crushed Red Pepper

    3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

    2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups), optional*

Instructions:

1. Combine rice and pasta; spoon in bottom of shallow serving platter. Keep warm.

2. Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add cooked lentils and stir to combine. Spoon over rice and pasta.

3. Combine tomatoes, water, sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash. Spoon tomato mixure over lentil layer. Partially stir tomato mixture into other layers, but do not completely combine all layers. If desired, prepare crisp-brown onions as directed below and add as a topping.

*Cook onions in large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat, stirring frequently, until brown and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 169, Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 281 mg, Carbohydrates: 34 g, Protein: 7 g

Kofta with Apricot Sauce

Apricot Sauce

Soak 1 cup dried apricots in water to cover for 2 hours. Drain the apricots and place them in a food processor or blender and puree. Then, with the motor running, slowly add 3 cups of chicken stock. (Note: I found that 2 cups of chicken stock was sufficient.) Add salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a saucepan and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes.

Kofta

    * 1 pound of ground lamb

    * 2 small leeks, cleaned and finely chopped

    * 1 tablespoon raw rice

    * 2 eggs

    * 1 tablespoon olive oil

    * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

    * salt & pepper

    * 1 ½ cups chicken stock

    * flour

    * 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Mix the ground lamb with the leeks, rice, eggs, oil, cilantro and salt & pepper to taste. Form balls the size of walnuts. (If you have a cookie scoop, use this and you will get uniform sized meatballs.)

Place the meatballs in a large saucepan with the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes, adding water if necessary. Drain the meatballs and cool.

Roll the meatballs in flour and melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet. When the butter is hot, add the meatballs and saute for 5 to 6 minutes, until nicely browned.

Pour the Apricot Sauce on the Kofta and serve. Makes 4 main dish servings. This recipe may also be served as an appetizer (mezze) or used as a filling for a pita sandwich with salad greens.

Sambusak Turnovers

24-48 servings or 36-48 turnovers

1 hour 30 minutes (45 min prep, 45 min cooking)

A Ramadan dish popular in Egypt. This is a single recipe for dough, and various different fillings

Ingredient:

     

---Dough---

   3/4    cup butter

   3/4    cup oil

   5    cups white flour

   2    teaspoons salt

   1/2– 3/4    cup cold water

     

---Meat filling---

   1 1/2    lbs ground meat

   3/4    cup of finely chopped onions

   1/4    cup oil

   1/2    cup pine nuts

   2    teaspoons salt

   1    teaspoon pepper

   1/2    cup of finely chopped parsley

   3/4    teaspoon cinnamon

     

---Cheese Filling---

   1 1/2    lbs feta cheese, crumbled

   3/4    cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (dill, mint, chives, parsley, cilantro)

   3    tablespoons water

   3/4    teaspoon pepper

     

---Vegetable Filling---

   1/4    cup olive oil

   3/4    cup of finely chopped onions

   1 1/2    lbs leafy greens, coarsely chopped (spinach, chard, dandelion or nettles)

   2    teaspoons salt

   1/2    cup walnuts, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted

   1/4    cup currants

   3/4    teaspoon pepper

     

---Sweet Filling---

   3    cups almonds, finely ground

   1 1/2    cups sugar

   2    teaspoons cardamom

   1/4    teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water

   2    tablespoons rose water

Instructions:

1. ----To Make the Dough----.

2. Melt the butter with the oil.

3. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the center, and add the oil and butter.

4. Stir vigorously until combined, and then add water until the dough holds together and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator while preparing the stuffing.

6. ----To Make the Meat Filling----.

7. Work all ingredients with the hands until fully combined.

8. ----To Make the Cheese Filling----.

9. Place ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor; blend well.

10. ----To Make the Vegetable Filling----.

11. Heat the olive oil over medium heat, and then sauté the onions for 2 minutes.

12. Add the greens and salt and stir well.

13. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook until the greens are wilted and give off their juices.

14. Turn off the heat, add the toasted walnuts, currants and pepper, and stir well.

15. ----To Make the Sweet Filling----.

16. Combine all ingredients and stir well.

17. ----To Assemble the Sanbusa----.

18. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.

19. For each pastry, take a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it out into a 3 inch circle.

20. Place a teaspoonful of filling in the center of the dough, fold the circle into a half-moon shape and pinch the edges firmly.

21. (Another traditional shape is the triangular pocket, formed by pinching together the edges of the circle in three seams that meet in the center over the filling).

22. Place the pastries on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until golden yellow, or deep fry in vegetable oil.

23. Serve warm.

Answer 2

Fattah

Fattah is a mixture of meat cubes embedded in rice and crusted pita pieces in soup. It is a traditional meal that is enjoyed by all Egyptian and is considered the most famous dish in Egypt. It is served in the bairam feast (an Islamic holy feast after the month of Ramadan) but it can also be served at any time of the year.

Ingredients:

(Serves Four)

One kg of meat cut in cubes. One may use any type of meat but lamb if preferred.

Two cups of short rice.

2-3 loafs of pita bread

two small peeled onions

dash of pepper

mastic

cardamom

garlic

ghee

cumin

tomato paste

salt

vinegar

Method:

To prepare a perfect dish of Fattah you need to follow four steps.

Preparing the meat

Fill a pot with water and place two small peeled onions, pepper, mastic and a cardamom. When the water starts to boil drop in the pieces of meat and let them boil to a stew.

Preparing the rice

Wash the rice and let it sit in water for about 10 minutes then seive it well. Place two tablespoons of oil in a pot on medium heat. As soon as the oil starts to fry add the rice and half a tea spoon of salt. Stir the rice for 5 minutes. Add 2 glasses of the meat stew to the cooking rice. Let the rice cook (for 20 minutes) on the lowest heat until it absorbs all the stew and becomes tender. When the rice is all dried up remove it from the stove.

Preparing the crisp pita bread

Cut the pita bread into small squared pieces, then place those pieces into a pan. Apply oil or butter to the bread pieces. Place the pan filled with bread pieces in a preheated oven for ten or so minutes until it becomes golden and crisp.

With the above three steps finished you have to place the ingredients in a deep bowl in layers before you can proceed on to the fourth step. Do not forget to pour some of the meat stew on each layer after placing it in the deep bowl. Make the lowest layer from bread top it with a thin layer of rice and pour some stew. Add the meat layer and pour some more stew on it. Place the final layer of rice and do not  pour soup on the top layer of rice so that it does not turn soggy.

Preparing the dressing

Now that you have placed the meat, the bread and the rice in layers in a deep bowl, you are ready for the final and most important step in making the Fattah dish. The dressing gives the secret taste to the whole dish. So you have to be extra careful when you prepare it.

In a frying pan place one tablespoon of crushed garlic, one table spoon of ghee, half a teaspoon of cumin and 1\4 teaspoon of salt. Dissolve one tablespoon of tomato paste in two tablespoons of water in a cup. In a frying pan, use low heat and stir the garlic, ghee, cumin and salt until the mixture darkens. Then add to the darkened mixture the tomato paste you prepared. Stir the mixture for a minute then add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Leave the mixture on low flame for 4-5 minutes. Pour the dressing on top of the Fattah.

“Bel hana wesh shefa” (eat and be happy with good health).

** Very good and filling. The meat is very tender and there is alot of flavor.

Answer 3

Fig and Lemon Chicken

Chicken thighs roasted with figs and lemon slices in a lemon, vinegar and brown sugar glaze. A good recipe with to break the fast of Ramadan and celebrate the Iftar.

Ingredients:

12 chicken thighs

2 lemons, 1 sliced, 1 halved

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 pounds dried figs

salt to taste  

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley  

Directions:

Preheat the chicken thighs in oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Squeeze juices from halved lemon into a small bowl, then stir in brown sugar, vinegar and water; set aside.

Place figs and sliced lemon segments in the bottom of an 11x16 inch baking/roasting dish. Arrange chicken thighs on top, then pour vinegar mixture over chicken. Finally, sprinkle with salt and dried parsley to taste.

Bake/roast at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 50 minutes, basting frequently (turn figs if they begin to brown).

With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, figs and lemon slices from baking dish and place on a warm platter. Skim fat from cooking juices, then pour over chicken as sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

http://interoz.com/egypt/recipes/recipew...

Answer 4

Egyptian Rice Pudding

Recipe courtesy of Gale Gand

3/4 cup rice flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 cups milk

2 pods whole green cardamom, lightly crushed

Pinch saffron threads

3 tablespoons rose water

Chopped pistachios, to garnish

Combine the rice flour and sugar and add to a saucepan containing the milk. Slowly bring to a boil whisking vigorously for about 2 minutes, taking care not to scorch the mixture. Add cardamom and saffron and continue stirring for 1 more minute. Remove from heat, and add rosewater. Pour pudding into individual serving glasses and let cool completely. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Top surface completely with finely chopped pistachios and serve.