Eat Like An Egyptian!

Untitled by Sonja Thalheimer

Feature Editors:
Agostinha Depina, 16
Shamara Rhodes, 18
Massachusetts

Egypt is a beautiful country with a deep history and culture that people who aren't Egyptian may not know about. This month, we're exploring the region's cuisine. Walk like an Egyptian and try these recipes yourself!

One popular dish is Egyptian Koshary, which is also also known as "Egyptian chili." Koshary is an Egyptian national dish that consists of macaroni, spaghetti, rice, black lentils, chick peas, garlic sauce, and a spicy tomato chili sauce, topped with fried onions. There are many recipes for Koshary with different varieties of ingredients. The dish is so popular that it has become widely available for Egyptian customers. Koshary is sold everywhere, from fancy restaurants to street vendors. The dish is inexpensive, so everyone can enjoy the wonderful taste.

Another popular item in Egyptian cuisine is tea. Tea is Egypt's national drink and is more widespread than coffee is in the United States. There are two types of tea, Koshary and Saiidi. Koshary teas are found mainly in North Egypt, while Saiidi is found mostly in the South. Koshary tea is sweet and minty;Saiidi is bitter. Tea is served at business meetings and people typically drink their tea after meals.

Fava beans, or as Egyptians say, Ful Medames, are the main ingredient in Egypt's most popular breakfast food. This breakfast dish consists of slow cooked fava beans with spices, partially or completely mashed, mixed with olive oil, parsley, garlic and lemon juice. Fava beans usually are served with a hard-boiled egg, onions and pita bread. Like Koshary, Ful Medames are sold everywhere from food carts to fancy restaurants.

Now it's time for you to try your hand at making these popular Egyptian dishes. When you're serving your meal, don't forget to say, "bel hana!" (That's Egyptian for "enjoy!")

Koshary

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked penne pasta
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cooked lentils
1 15 oz can 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 cups yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups onion, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Combine rice and pasta; spoon onto plate. 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, and 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 mixture 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.

Source: http://www.touregypt.net/recipes/recipeweek03152004.htm

Full Medames

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can fava beans
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
ground red pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Pour the beans into a pot and bring to a boil. Mix them well and add onion, tomato, olive oil, cumin, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Bring the mixture back to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Let the mixture cook 5 minutes. Serve warm with grilled pita.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fava-Bean-Breakfast-Spread/Detail.aspx

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7452456.stm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/eg.html