Courtesy of Khose Studio
CAIRO – 28 February 2018: There is nothing better than food to track the evolution of any nation, its culture and even its most significant political and economic turns. Food will never mislead you; it is a heritage that keeps on progressing from one generation to the other.
Egyptian cuisine is the most perfect illustration of this fact! Every occasion, feasts and memories are associated with certain foods that have evolved throughout Egyptian history.
In celebration of our rich Egyptian cuisine, I will be taking you on a quick tour of some of our signature appetizers, main dishes and desserts, along with some easy quick recipes for you to taste our must-try Egyptian dishes.
Start off with the appetizers
Egyptian cuisine offers plenty of delicious appetizers, such as tasty pickles, our famous Baladi (Arabic for local) salad, Goulash and Rokak (Arabic for minced meat pies) and many more.
Since it is one of my all-time favourites, I would advise you to try out the Rokak. It is made of very thin bread slices stuffed with minced meat, drizzled by meat broth and baked in the oven until golden and crispy on the outside and very tender in the inside.
If you feel the need for a heart-warming soup, I would also recommend Egyptian lentil soup with some tasty crispy bread, as one amazing dish to start off your meal.
Check the video for a very easy and delicious recipe:
Now to the MAIN dish
Out of so many main dishes in Egyptian cuisine, no one would pass out on some delicious white rice and “Molokhia” the leaves of Corchorus olitorius); and with some crispy chicken, it gets even tastier! Although many Arab countries have it in their cuisines, the Egyptian way is still very unique, and tremendously delicious.
My mother has always told me that it was the first meal I tried at two years old; and since then, I have become addicted. I do not only make it at home, I even order it whenever I am at any Egyptian restaurant!
Another signature dish in Egyptian Cuisine is the taro. Most Egyptians eat it with white rice or Baladi bread and meat but I actually prefer it - or this is how I was raised - with red pasta sauce! I love to mix the green and red sauce together! The taste is beyond delicious and irresistible. Try it! You won’t regret it!
Despite the misconceptions, Egyptian food is not just about fatty and meaty dishes; we also have a lot of vegetarian plates, such as falafel, which is famous worldwide, “Bussara” made of fava beans and greens, aubergine with assorted styles, potatoes in all forms and finally “Kushari”, a vegetarian meal of high nutrition value that contains 13 ingredients.
Signature desserts
Oriental desserts are quite common among Arab cuisines but each country has its own twist and unique taste, and we also have our pure Egyptian dishes like “Om Ali,” made of puff pastry and nuts soaked in milk, covered with fresh cream and baked until golden! The true meaning of comfort food!
As for the Egyptian version of rice pudding, it is way creamier with less rice, topped with cinnamon and nuts and sometimes we add a scoop of fresh cream on top! A GAME CHANGER!
Another one of our signature dishes is the Egyptian version of pumpkin pie; a paste of pumpkin, cinnamon, coconut flakes and raisins, topped with sweet béchamel sauce.
Egyptian cuisine is rich and tasty, and it certainly deserves to be on the must-try cuisines list.
From vegetarian dishes to fatty foods, street foods, fine dining, and finally the recent trends of modernising and adapting different dishes to our own culture, Egyptian cuisine is very unique and matches all tastes.
Follow Dina Hamdy @dinainthekitchen for more ideas, easy recipes and tips about Egyptian cuisine.
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