Baba Ghanoog

What we need:

1 large eggplant
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs tahini
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup yogurt
3 Tbs olive oil
several whole olives

How:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place whole eggplant on a baking sheet and bake until outer shell is crisp and inside is soft and mushy. A fork should pass easily through the eggplant when done (about 1 hour). Let the eggplant cool, then remove and discard black skin and green cap. Spoon the insides into a food processor or a blender. Add garlic, Tahini, salt, lemon juice and yogurt. Puree until creamy. Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with olive oil and whole olives.

Vegetable Soup

What we need:

1 1/2 lb beef stew of lamb
1 zucchini diced (about 1/4 inch)
1 small chopped onion
1 carrot sliced (about 1/4 inch)
1 cup of celery cut into pieces (about 1 inch)
1/2 medium chopped green pepper
1 small peeled potato cut into small pieces
1 chopped tomato
1/4 tsp nutmeg, black pepper, and salt

How:

Cut the meat into big cubes and put it in a medium caldron.
Pour cold water over it and put on the stove at high heat.
When skim appears, take it off and throw it away.
Put all the cooked pieces of meat in a clean saucepan and mix in all the above ingredients.
Clarify the broth of the meat and add it to the saucepan.
Put it on low heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Lentil Soup

What we need:

• 1 1/2 cups of lentils
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium-sized carrot, chopped
• 1 medium-sized potato, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 lemon cut in half
• croutons

How:
          

• Heat butter (or vegetable oil) in pot, add onions. 
• Stir until onions are soft.
• Add lentils.
• Stir for one minute, then add water and bring to a boil. 
• Lower heat and add the celery, carrot, potato, garlic and cumin.
• Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. 
• Blend or process in batches until smoothed in a puree.
• Serve hot.
• Add salt, pepper, squeese lemon and croutons to your desire.

Kosharee(The most famous egyptian meal)

What we need:

 tablespoon vegetable oil

 yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoon black pepper

cup black lentils or 1 cup brown lentils, washed

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups calrose rice, rinsed (medium grain rice)

3 cups water

diced tomato (28 oz can, zaar won't recognize quantity)

1 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pure chile powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups macaroni (about 1 lb/450 g)

fried onions, to taste 

How: 

1 For Lentils and Rice, heat oil in large pot over medium, add onion and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
2 Stir in salt, cumin and pepper and cook 1 minute.

3 Add lentils and 2-1/2 cups water.

4 Raise heat to high; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high. Boil until lentils are three quarters cooked, 

   about 15 minutes.

5 Add rice and remaining 3 cups water and bring to boil.

6 Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 13 minutes or until rice is just cooked. (Don't overcook.).

7 Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

8 Uncover; fluff with fork. (Makes about 9 cups.).

9 Meanwhile, for Tomato Sauce, in medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, water, oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin, 

   salt, chili and pepperand bring to boil over high heat.

10 Cook, stirring and reducing heat as needed, until sauce thickens slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. (Makes 

   about 3 cups.).

11 Meanwhile, heat large pot of salted water over high and add macaroni. Cook until al dente as per 
    package instructions. 

12 To assemble, place portion of rice and lentils on plate.

13 Top with portion of macaroni, then portion of tomato sauce.

14 Garnish with onions. (Loosely, the dish should be 2/3 rice and lentils to 1/3 macaroni with a small amount 

  of sauce and onions.).

Egyptian potato onion beef casserole

    What we need:

1/8 cup vinegar (to soak beef/lamb)
5 medium sized potatoes
1 stick butter
1 pound frozen cubed beef or lamb without bones
3 large onions
1 small can tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
salt, freshly-ground pepper, salt substitute (potassium chloride) 

You will also need a ladle, two stockpots, 1 large casserole dish or 2-3 smaller ones, a peppermill or mortar and pestle.

 
How: 

Defrost the meat in a large pot or bowl. Cover with cold water and add 1/8 cup of vinegar. Allow to defrost in refrigerator overnight. If already defrosted, let marinate for 1 hour. Pour off the vinegar mixture and rinse the beef or lamb in cool water. Cut off and discard any excess fat. Place meat in a pot. Add enough water to cover, and boil on medium for 15 minutes.
After the meat has boiled, put the can of tomato paste into the pot and dissolve it into the beef broth. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the meat mixture in the pot.
Add 1/2 tablespoon or more more of ground pepper. Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/4 tablespoon salt substitute. Mix and TASTE. If needed, add more salt.

Peel the potatoes (I think they're more nutritious with the peels on. If you want to, you can leave the skin on, just don't serve the dish to any Egyptians!) and onions into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Put the potatoes and onions into another pot, cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for about 7 minutes.


You will need 1-3 caserole dishes depending on their size. Put 1/2 to 1/3 of the stick of butter into the bottom of the dish.
Put some drained beef or lamb into the dish. Put some DRAINED potato and onion into the dish. Then put some more meat and repeat the process until the dish is about two thirds full.
Then ladle the tomatoey meat sauce from the pot into each dish until the potatoes, onions and meat are completely covered. If you run out, then use the potato water.
Bake the dishes uncovered at 375°F for 90 minutes to 2 hours

Green Spinach-Like Soup(egy name: Molokheya )

What we need: 

14 ounces molokheya (use 1 frozen package- should be 14oz or 400 grams, there is only one size, so if different- no prob)
2 chicken bouillon cube
1 whole roasting chicken (You could use a cornish game hen too, very flavorful)
3 onion (sliced)
1 carrot (sliced)
2 stalks celery (chopped large pieces, including the leaves)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed (smashed)
1 slice tomato (diced into small cubes)
1 slice onion (chopped fine)
8 garlic clove (crushed, use FRESH ONLY)
1 dash cumin
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons oil, for frying garlic

How:

Fill large stock pot with water, bring to a boil, add add sliced onions, carrot and celery. Add 2 chicken bouillon cubes and whole chicken or hen, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook until chicken tender approximately 1-2 hours.
Skim fats from water, strain out vegetables, remove chicken and reserve about 4 cups of the broth in pot.
While broth is simmering on real low, add bag of molokheya and a teaspoon of ground coriander, salt & pepper and a dash of cumin to the broth. (Easy way to get bag into pot: I’ve found by just snipping top of plastic bag, then holding over hot pot, and sliding the molokheya into the pot, the steam helps it slide out easy) DO NOT COVER.
Add the chopped tomato and onion into the pot, just a little, as stated, 1 slice tomato, 1 slice onion, both chopped.
Preparing the “tasha” (this is what makes the molokheya famous & tasty too): Put 2 tablespoons oil into small frying pan.
Add crushed garlic, stir until a golden brown, add teaspoon ground coriander and the few smashed coriander seeds, stir until all dry and formed together.
Drop this into pot of molokheya while hot, you should hear a “tsshhh” sound, if so you did it- congratulations!
Continue cooking on low heat for approximately 10 minutes, its ready to serve.
To serve: Brown the chicken in a pan full of melted butter and serve with white steamed rice with lightly fried vermicelli pieces. (I will post recipe for this simple, yet delicious rice).
Spoon the molokheya into bowls and let your guests spoon onto rice or dip their warm pita breads into their bowls!

Beef & Okra Casserole (egy name : Bamia)

What we need: 

1 1/2 lbs okra
6 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
6 tomato, peeled,chopped
1 lb beef, ground
1 cup stock
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons plain yogurt
3 teaspoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced 

How:

Cut stalks from okra. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. Add okra, saute 6 minutes. Drain sauteed okra on paper towels. Discard oil, wipe pan with paper towels.
Heat 2 more tablespoons oil in saucepan. Add onion and tomatoes, saute until heated through. Add ground beef- cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add stock- bring to a boil. Add garlic and salt. Simmer until most of liquid has evaporated.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Brush a large baking pan with oil. Stir yogurt, sour cream and white pepper into beef mixture. Spoon half of the beef mixture over bottom of oiled pan.
Cover with okra, then with remaining beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake 50-60 minutes. Garnish with tomato and lemon slices.

Mixed Vegetable Casserole (egyptian name:Turli)

What we need :

1 pound lamb or beef
2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
5-7 pearl onions, peeled
1/2 pound okra, with peeled ridges
1 brown round eggplant, peeled and diced
1/2 pound string beans
1 cup shelled peas
1 teaspoon mint powder
1 hot chili pepper, very finely chopped
cooking fat

HOW:

Cut meat into bite-sized cubes.
Fry meat until the juice is reabsorbed, then remove from pot and place in casserole dish. Toss all the vegetables except the hot pepper into the remaining cooking oil and saute. Strain, add to meat together with mint powder, hot pepper, and seasoning, and cover with water. SLow cook, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.