authentic Egyptian recipes
Roasted Red Peppers Roasted Red Peppers is a great tasting side dish capturing the fantastic sweetness of the beautiful ripe bell pepper. The flavours are concentrated in the roasting process Roasting concentrates the flavours which are then accentuated by their seasoning. They’re brilliant as part …
Prawns in Spicy Tomato Sauce The first time I had Prawns in Spicy Tomato Sauce was in a fish restaurant in Fayid, a small fishing town half way up the Suez Canal. It was a side dish as part of a fish mezze. I must …
Pickled Red Cabbage is an amazing pickle.
As far as looks go, it has to be considered one of the very best. It’s so pretty in its cerise pink hues and so finely sliced that it looks like ruffles in a party dress.
Looks are all very well and good but the important thing obviously has to be the taste. As far as taste goes it’s an absolute winner as well. It’s pickled in a vinegar and brine solution that’s got a touch of sweetness. It’s just about perfect, the balance of the vinegar and brine ensures that the vinegar isn’t too acidic and at the same time it’s not too salty and the slight sweetness just makes it sooo good.
The other amazing thing about Pickled Red Cabbage is the fact that it takes only minutes to make – I’m talking the same time as it takes to make a cup of coffee, a cup of instant at that. Yes seriously it’s that quick.
It’s so versatile as well. It’s great with cold cuts like any other pickle. It’s great packed into a falafel sandwich, or in a kebab or burger
Adding Pickled Red Cabbage to a salad is also a really good idea. It makes it look fresh and exciting whilst at the same time seasoning it.
This recipe will fill 2 large (200g) coffee jars
To prepare your jars simply wash them thoroughly in hot soapy water.
Wash the red cabbage, remove any damaged outer leaves and cut out the hard centre core.
Cut the cabbage into really fine strips and pack them tightly into the jars.
Put a few juniper berries into each jar if you choose to use them.
Boil the kettle.
Fill a mug half way up with boiling water. To this add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir well to make a brine solution. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir well to dissolve.
Fill the other half of the mug with white vinegar. Stir well and taste. This is necessary because some vinegars are very astringent and so the pickling solution may need balancing with a little less vinegar and more brine.
Pour your hot pickling solution into the jar over your red cabbage.
Using the same proportions, make up as much pickling solution as necessary to cover all the red cabbage.
Make sure to press the red cabbage down well to make sure it’s completely covered by the pickling solution. Screw the lids on to the jars.
Leave the jars on the work top for a couple of hours to cool down. Tip them upside down a few times over that period to ensure that everything gets mixed well and that there are no pockets of air.
It’s best to leave the cabbage to marinate in the pickling solution for a few days to gain full benefit of the flavours, before you start eating it.
Pickled Red Cabbage can be kept in the fridge for about 2 to 3 weeks. In my experience it never lasts that long, it’s far too popular.
Are you taste buds ready to dance? They will with these delicious new recipes from Secrets of a Cairo Kitchen.
Harissa Chicken: Spiced to perfection. The multiple layers of flavours of Harissa Chicken will simply blow you away. Get the recipe here.
Kofta are like delicious Egyptian meatballs which have been seasoned perfectly to bring out the wonderful flavours of the meat.
Kofta is an absolute favourite with kids as well as adults.
With its popularity it’s great for big family gatherings because it’s guaranteed that just about everyone will love it ( except our vegetarian friends obviously).
It can be made in advance which is a real bonus when you’re hosting, because anything that takes the pressure off is such a blessing in my opinion. It will be ready to pop in the oven just about three quarters of an hour before everyone is ready to eat. And it’ll stay warm ready to serve.
Rice and a mixed salad are ideal accompaniments for kofta especially with a drizzle of garlicky tahini dressing. If you add in warm pita bread there is the option of splitting the pita bread and making a pita bread pocket stuffed with kofta and salad which is easily as good as any take-away and also great for outdoor eating .
The recipe I use now, is one that I have adapted and that I have found to to be a real crowd pleaser. It has loads of flavour but it’s not spicy. Those seeking a hit of chilli, can drizzle hot chilli sauce over, after it’s cooked.
This particular recipe has a few breadcrumbs in it. This helps to retain the juices from the meat which has a lot of the flavour and also keeps the kofta lovely and moist. It does mean that it needs to be cooked in the oven though as it tends to break up if you try cooking it on skewers.
If you find it disappointing that you can’t barbeque these kofta and you think that you’ll miss that wonderful smoky flavour, don’t worry I have a solution for that.
You have the option of smoking them once they’re cooked. Don’t worry you don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients and it is so simple, you’ll be amazed.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
First put your minced beef into a large bowl & break it up so that when the other ingredients are added it will mix easily.
First put the bread in a food processor and blitz it to form breadcrumbs – alternatively you can grate them. Add this to the minced beef in the bowl.
If you are using onions, drizzle oil into a large frying pan and put it over a high flame to heat up. Add the chopped onions and fry them until they become translucent. Put these into the blender with the egg and blitz them for about 20 seconds. Then add these to the breadcrumbs and meat in the bowl.
Now, add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix everything together well – this can be done with a large spoon, but I find that nothing beats working everything together with your hands. Keep mixing until the ingredients are all fully blended.
Once everything is very well mixed, it’s time to start forming the kofta.
To make this easy to explain first follow these instructions open your left hand out palm up, then lay the index finger and middle finger of your right hand across your left hand and close your fingers around them – this is about the size your koftas will be.
So, scoop up a spoonful of the mix about the size of a large walnut and lay it across your upper palm – i.e., where the fingers of you right hand were laid. Next close your fingers around it as though you are holding a handle and squeeze the mix and twist it slightly and squeeze and twist to form the kofta. Repeat this process until all the mix is used up.
To bake your kofta in the oven. Lay them in tidy rows on 2 large baking trays.
Put the baking trays into the preheated oven and cook for about 25 minutes. The kofta is cooked when it is browned on the outside. Break one in half to check it is cooked on the inside – it should be brown, and the juices run clear. If the meat on the inside still looks red, cook for a little longer with aluminium foil over the top of it so that it doesn’t dry out.
Now to add the magic. First pile all your kofta onto one baking tray.
Shape some tin foil into a small egg cup shape – double thickness.
Make a space in the centre of the tray and sit the tin foil cup in it.
Set the charcoal alight by holding it over the gas flame for a few minutes. When the coal begins to glow blow out the flame.
Drizzle a little oil into the tin foil cup that you have just made and then put the charcoal in the oil.
Quickly cover the baking tray with kitchen foil and close it tightly to stop the smoke from escaping and smoking out your kitchen. Allow it to smoke for 5 minutes.
Keep the baking tray in a warm place, putting it back in the warm oven for a few minutes, is a good option.
Cover the kofta with aluminium foil until you are ready to serve them – this will keep them warm and stop them from drying out.
As I said, kofta are incredibly popular and they are perfect accompanied by rice, a mixed salad and a drizzle of tahini dressing. You could also serve warm pitta bread, humus. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if you choose. A few olives or marinated chargrilled red peppers are really good to serve as a side dish with your kofta if you wanted a little extra.
I do hope you enjoy making kofta using this recipe.
You have to try this recipe. It’s so good and it never fails to bring big smiles to everyone’s face.
Let me know how it goes. I love seeing your photos.
If you love smoky barbeque flavours another great recipe to try is Chicken Shawarma. It’s phenomenal.
Click the link to get the recipe.
Marinated olives Marinated Olives Marinated olives are always popular whether it’s as part of a mezze or as a side dish or a snack. They’re a bit salty and a little bit spicy. And with the garlic and herbs the flavours are just great. Are …