authentic Egyptian recipes
Chicken Egyptian Style – Poached (and then cooked in butter) chicken Chicken Egyptian Style ensures the meat is always moist and flavoursome, and the skin is beautifully buttery and crisp. It can therefore be likened to the French classics Duck Confit and Chicken Confit. The …
Spice things up. Learn how to blend your spices and get phenomenal results with your cooking.
Hawowshi Scandria are truly delicious. They have the appearance of a pasty in many ways – albeit a round pasty. But, it has to be said, they taste so much better!
They taste more like a gourmet burger. It makes my mouth water just thinking about how good they are.
When street vendors sell hawowshi scandria, their shops are filled with the very best smells. And queues of people wait patiently (and sometimes a little less patiently – after all this is Egypt lol) to have their orders filled.
Hawowshi was first created by a Cairo butcher back in 1971. He simply put minced meat into a pitta pocket and baked it and Hawowshi was invented. It was a very simple idea but it soon caught on and soon they were eating it throughout Egypt.
There are many different recipes for Hawowshi. This recipe may not be the simplest. It is however, in my opinion head and shoulders above others
Some recipes are simple, with the meat filling just packed into pita bread pockets before baking, These are the form of the original Hawowshi, and they’re great if you want something quick.
Soon after Hawowshi were created , the good people of Alexandria (Scandria) took this idea a stage further and actually baked the meat in a fresh bread dough, to make it even better. And Hawowshi Scandria was created.
As you probably already know, Alexandria is that fabulous city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Founded in 331BC by Alexander the Great.
It’s probably best know for its famous landmark the Alexandria Lighthouse, sometimes known as the Pharos of Alexandria, which was over 100m high and was known as one of the Seven Great Wonders of the Ancient World.
Alexandria was also known for its Great Library. Built in about 250BC, it was known as the greatest in the world in ancient times. It’s reported have held up to 400,000 scrolls.
So as you can see, only the best is good enough for Alexandria.
Hawowshi Scandria carries on this tradition. They’re simply sensational.
For me this is the ultimate recipe. The meat is seasoned to perfection and packs a punch. This wonderful meat filling is then encased in a wonderful, bread shell which absorbs the glorious flavours whilst the meat cooks. The flavours are fabulous.
I hope you’ll try them
The quantities in this recipe will make 8 Hawowshi Scandria
Put the warm (not too hot) milk into a bowl with the yeast and sugar. Give them a mix and put a cover over them for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to activate. When the mixture starts to produce bubbles on the top, you’ll know that it’s ready to work its magic.
Put the flour into a large bowl, make a dip in the middle and pour in the yeast mix, half the warm water, the oil and the salt.
Lightly whisk the egg white and add that to the mix.
Starting from the centre, start mixing the wet ingredients and gradually start incorporating the flour until it is all mixed.
Gradually add the remaining water until you have a really, loose dough, but which still holds together.
Flour a work surface and fold the dough together until it forms a smooth ball.
Rub a little oil on to your hands and smooth this over the dough.
Place the dough into a large bowl, cover it with cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 – 1 ½ hours until it rises and doubles in size.
Put all the ingredients for the filling into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
Once the dough has doubled in size take it out of the bowl and put it on to a floured work surface, lightly punch the air out of it then knead again just for a minute to form a smooth ball again.
Put the oven on to pre-heat to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F
Cut the dough in half . Then cut each half into 4 equal parts. You will then have 8 equally sized pieces of dough.
Divide the meat filling into 8 equal portions using much the same method you used to divide the dough.
Taking one ball of dough at a time. Push your thumb into the centre and start to form a cup shape (much as you did at school in art when you were taught to make pottery thumb pots with clay). Hollow out the centre until it’s big enough to comfortably take a portion of filling.
Put a portion of the filling into your dough cup . Then pull the dough back together over the top and seal it up.
Flatten the dough using your hands until it forms a circle approximately 20cm across.
Repeat this process until all the dough portions are filled and flattened.
When this is done place your stuffed doughs onto a baking tray. Space the breads apart slightly as they will get bigger.
Lightly whisk the egg yolk to use as an egg wash and brush it over your dough balls.
Cover your Hawowshi with a clean tea towel. Stand the baking trays on a work top in a warm place for about 20 – 25 minutes to rise again slightly.
Put your Hawowshi Scandria into your pre-heated oven and bake for about 25 minutes until they’re are golden brown.
I do hope you’ll try making these. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad Roasted Butternut Squash Salad : Butternut squash, roasted until tender and seasoned with Dukkah (a warm aromatic nut and spice blend), is the main star of the show with this dish. The sweet nutty flavour of the butternut squash is perfectly …
What is Egyptian cuisine? To a great extent Egyptian Cuisine is Plant Based Egyptian cuisine, is famous for its rich and diverse ingredients. It’s a fusion of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African food. To a great extent Egyptian food is plant based. It relies …
Are Your Taste Buds Ready to Dance?
Are your taste buds ready to dance? They will with these wonderful Egyptian recipes, full of vibrant, exciting flavours, here at “Secrets of a Cairo Kitchen”.
Learning new and exciting ingredients and recipes can make every mealtime a culinary adventure which will awaken your taste buds and have them dancing.
You’re learn the art of blending herbs and spices, with “Secrets of a Cairo Kitchen”. You’ll also learn how important herbs and spices are when you want to create dishes that excel.
Finding just the right proportions is key to perfecting a recipe. Herbs and spices add vibrancy and depth of flavour in multiple layers, bringing your food to life.
Let’s not forget the amazing aromas that herbs and spices release, setting the scene and awakening the senses even before one morsel is lifted from the plate.
These dishes are sure to make your taste buds dance.
Give them a go & let me know which ones are the best.
Click on the links to get the recipes
Beef Kofta : The Middle Eastern version of a meat ball – just so much more tasty. With the addition of blended spices the flavours are incredible and a real joy.
Spiced Chicken Over Potato Layers : As this dish is cooked the air is filled with the most wonderful aromas from the spices in which the Chicken has been marinated. Whilst the chicken cooks, the meat juices are released basting the vegetables below. The resulting dish is a true celebration of flavour.
Beef Ghoulash, (best meat pie ever) : Micro-thin layers of crisp, buttery filo pastry encasing the most delicious meat filling – seasoned to perfection. The first time one of my son-in-laws had this, his response was, “Best meat pie ever.” And it truly is, it’s just so good.
Chicken Shawarma : Chicken that’s been marinated in a blend of the most wonderful aromatic spices and then either barbequed, grilled or fried. As you can imagine the smell produced in the cooking process are out of this world. It’s then brought together in a wrap, along with salad and drizzled with glorious tahini .
Crispy Cauliflower Wrap : Cauliflower florets in an amazing crispy spiced batter which has been seasoned with cumin, chilli flakes, garlic and more, taking it to its ultimate taste levels. This is then rolled into a wrap along with salad and drizzled with creamy tahini or a good slather of houmous – really tasty.
Beef & Cheese Lavash Wraps : This combination of meat and dairy is superb. Imagine the flavours of a gourmet cheese burger, wrapped in crispy wafer-thin bread. Imagine the crunch as you bite into it unlocking the glorious aromas and flavours of the succulent filling – yes it really is that good!
Shakshuka : Poached eggs Egyptian style. The base of the dish is an incredibly delicious spicy sauce made from peppers, tomatoes and onions. This is cooked through until it’s rich and tender. Eggs are then cradled in the surface of the sauce and cooked through in the juices. Served as a sharing platter and scooped up with warm flat breads.
Harissa Chicken : Harissa is an aromatic spicy paste made from ingredients that include roasted red peppers, garlic, ginger, aniseed, smoked paprika, chilli and more. The chicken is marinated in this wonderful rich and spicy paste before cooking, giving it unbelievable flavours to start off with. But then the flavours are elevated to a completely new level by smoking. The flavours are just off the chart they’re so good.
If the idea of smoking something that sounds really difficult, believe me when I tell you that it’s not; not at all.
And if you think you’ll need fancy expensive equipment let me tell you NO. Everything you need you’ve probably already got.
Have a go – YOU’LL BE AMAZED !
Lamb Fettah : This is one of the signature dishes of Egypt. A large tray is covered in pieces of crispy bread. This is then thoroughly soaked in a wonderfully rich gravy and covered with rice. Beautifully tender chunks of meat are then spread over the rice and more of the gravy is ladled over the rice. The finishing touch is then a rich tomato sauce, laced with cumin and garlic which is then drizzled over the meat as its crowning glory.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad : Butternut squash seasoned with warm aromatic spices and roasted until tender is the main star of the show with this dish. The addition of brown lentils and chickpeas to the salad make this a substantial dish; every mouthful packed with flavour.
Nut Ghoulash / Baklava : Crisp, micro-thin, buttery layers of filo pastry enveloping toasted nuts bathed in a seductively sweet syrup make this an incredibly popular sweet treat, loved by just about everyone.
I hope you enjoy these recipes. Let me know what you think.
Red Pepper and walnut Dip – Muhammara Red Pepper and Walnut Dip has such a wonderful combination of flavours Red Pepper and Walnut Dip – Muhammara just has amazing flavours. The pomegranate molasses with its sweet yet tangy sour flavour is so good and when …
Harissa Chicken: Spiced to perfection. The multiple layers of flavours of Harissa Chicken will simply blow you away. Get the recipe here.
Cauliflower fritters or Arnabeet mukly as they’re known in Egypt, are so addictive.
Cauliflower fritters are cauliflower florets, which have been tenderised and then coated in a delicious spiced batter and fried to have a wonderful crispy coating.
I think they are best eaten hot when they are freshly cooked but you can have them cold.
Cauliflower fritters can be used as a side dish with breakfast or lunch. Alternatively they can be stuffed into warm pitta bread with salad and a drizzle of tahini to make a delicious sandwich.
Cut the cauliflower into florets about the size of a walnut and rinse.
Put the cauliflower florets into a pan and cover them with boiled water. Add a good pinch of salt and boil for about 5 minutes – the cauliflower should still be firm.
Drain off the water and rinse under cold water, to stop the cooking process -otherwise the cauliflower will go too soft.
Pour 1 cup of flour (for flouring) onto a large plate and season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl put the 2 cups of flour, add the egg and 1 cup of water. Mix together and then gradually add enough water, mixing thoroughly, to form a batter – slightly thinner than cake mixture.
Add the onion, herbs, spices and baking powder and mix again thoroughly.
Use a deep pan to fry your florets, I like to use a wok to cook mine.
Heat up the oil in your pan. You need the oil about 4cm deep.
You’ll know when the oil’s hot enough when it begins to sizzle.
Before frying any cauliflower, I always fry a little bit of the batter, just to check the seasoning. Does it need any more curry powder? cumin? chilli? salt? A really well seasoned batter makes all the difference, so best check before moving forward.
Take the cauliflower florets one at a time and dip them into the seasoned flour, this allows the batter to stick to the floret. Shake off any excess flour.
Next, dip them into the spiced batter and coat them well.
Then carefully lower the battered cauliflowers into the oil.
Only cook about 5 or 6 florets at a time – don’t over-crowd the pan. Cook them until you can see the edges going crispy and golden brown, then flip them over to ensure they cook evenly on all sides.
*They cook very quickly be warned.
When they are cooked, take them out of the oil and drain them on kitchen roll.
Enjoy !
Cauliflower fritters are great as a side dish for breakfast or lunch Alternatively they are wonderful popped into pita bread along with either
Try them, I’m sure you’ll love them.
Let me know what you think.