Don’t worry: these pigeons aren’t collected off the street but rather raised specifically for eating. The pigeon is usually stuffed with rice and cracked wheat, and served in the delicious, lemony pigeon broth. The meat comes out tender and the skin crispy.
Source: Middleeastkitchen.com
You might be familiar with mahshi in the form of stuffed peppers. Mahshi is pretty much the name for baked vegetables stuffed with spiced rice. Egyptians know how to do it best. Authentic mahshi is veggies stuffed with rice cooked with the perfect mixture of cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, tomato sauce and tomato paste. The spices paired with the sweet flavors that the vegetables take on in the oven are just perfect. In Egypt it’s popular to make this dish with grape leaves.
Source: Arabianmama.com
Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian spice mix made with toasted nuts such as pistachios, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, coriander and cumin. Dukkah is sort of like chicken soup—every family believes they make the best one and every family has its own spin on it. It tastes great on almost any soft food from baked tomatoes and hummus to avocado on toast.
Source: Thekitchn.com
Fatta isn’t going to become a staple in your diet because it’s loaded with calories but the few times you do have the dish, it’s worth it. The dish is usually served on special occasions and is basically tons of lamb, butter, bread and spices stewed together.
Source: Egyptianfood.org
Kushari is a national dish of Egypt and it’s a carb-lover’s dream. With rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, garlic, caramelized onions and a spicy tomato chile sauce, it’s an easy dish to dive into over and over again, either with a fork or pita bread.
Source: Daringgourmet.com
If you’re a fan of hummus and babaganoush then you’ll love ful medames. This creamy, savory and tangy dish is so easy to make. It’s simply fava beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and cumin and tastes delicious sandwiched into a pita or, the traditional way — topped with a fried egg.
Source: Mideastfood.about.com
Taro soup is like a purple potato soup, if you can imagine that. The root vegetable has a lovely violet color, and becomes tender and stringy when cooked. It’s slightly sweet and in Egypt is often put in a broth with lemon juice, coriander and garlic.
Source: Bubblews.com
Think of a quesadilla-dumpling hybrid made with delicious, grainy dough and filled with sweet, crunchy and spicy meat. There you have an Egyptian meat pie. The filling is made with several spices, cinnamon, lemon juice, walnuts and lean beef. The filling ingredients are mashed up and put inside little rounds of grainy dough, which is then folded in half and deep fried in fat.
Source: Cooks.com
Sayadeya is a seafood dish that is beautiful in its simplicity. Chefs of Alexandria and Port Said are renowned for making this dish perfectly, It consists of a white fish like bass or blue fish cooked with rice, onion and tomato sauce in a tagine. It’s flaky, has an incredible roasted flavor and a little kick from the sauce.
Source: Celtnet.org.uk
Besarah is like a healthy onion dip. It gets its creaminess from mashed up fava beans, and amazing flavor from the dill, leek, parsley and onions (plus tons of spices) and a great crunch from the fried onions you top it with.
Source: Arabianmama.com
Meat lovers will never settle for a regular hot dog again after trying this dish. Alexandrian sausages and liver is spicy sausages and liver that simmer for hours in a spicy chili tomato sauce. The meats are usually served in a bun smothered in sweet sesame paste and cream to balance out the spiciness.
Source: Cairo360.com
Baladi might just look and sound like bread, but the particular way it’s made in traditional Egyptian recipes makes it perfectly flaky on the outside, doughy on the inside, and with a flavor all its own. The secret is that the dough, after being kneaded thoroughly, is covered with a damp cloth and left in a warm place for three hours. This makes the flavors in the dough really permeate the bread. Baking it immediately is thought to dilute some of those flavors.
Source: Ahmedhamdyeissa.com
