Basbousa, also called Harissa, is a traditional Egyptian dessert. However, you can find it in almost all sweet shops and cafes throughout the MENA region and the Arab world. Most people use Semolina drenched in a sweet or sugary syrup to make this dessert.
The most exciting thing about this dessert is that it is easier to make and healthier enough to improve your overall wellbeing. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, iron, copper, and antioxidants that enhance your metabolism.
Ingredients
Two Semolina
One cup of sugar
Two tablespoons of honey
One teaspoon of baking powder
Ten almonds
A half cup of melted butter
For the syrup, you will need the following ingredients
One cup of sugar
One cup of water
One tablespoon of lemon juice
One tablespoon of rose petals (dried)
Instructions
Follow these steps for Basbousa:
Whip or Whisk sugar, Semolina, and baking powder in a large-sized bowl
Add melted butter and yogurt to the bowl
Mix well to create a thicker batter
Pour the batter into a baking pan
Make sure you grease the baking pan
Bake for at least 45 minutes to achieve a golden brown surface
For the syrup, you will have to follow these steps:
Boil water in a pan and add lemon juice, dried rose petals, and sugar
Boil these ingredients for 10-15 minutes to thicken the syrup
Pour the syrup over the hot cake
Set aside for 60 minutes, so the cake absorbs the syrup
Serve to your family or friends
You can eat it as an evening snack or full-fledged meal
Serving it with coffee or black tea is more enjoyable
Umm Ali is a traditional Egyptian dessert enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of natives and tourists visiting the country. Most tourists say that Umm Ali is similar to North America’s bread pudding. Some people even eat with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Without further ado, let us get started with Umm Ali. Read on!
Ingredients
One puff pastry
Five cups of milk
One cup of white sugar
One teaspoon of vanilla extract
¼ cup of raisins
¼ cup of pine nuts
¼ cup of slivered almonds
¼ cup of chopped pistachio nuts
¼ cup of sweet coconut
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Unroll the pastry sheets and appropriately place them on the baking sheet
Now bake them for 15-20 minutes in the oven
Break the pastry puff into several pieces
Place these pieces in a large-sized bowl
Add almonds, raisins, pistachios, pine nuts, and coconut
Pour into a large-sized glass baking dish
Spread it evenly and then pour milk into a saucepan
Stir in the vanilla and sugar
Heat until it becomes hot
Avoid too much boiling
Pour over the mixture in the dish
Bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven
Turn the oven to broil and bake for 2-5 minutes
Remove from the oven and set aside for five minutes
Serve warm and enjoy Umm Ali with your family and friends
Knafeh is a famous Egyptian dessert prepared throughout the Middle East. You can find it in almost all Middle Eastern restaurants and consume it to satisfy your taste buds, thanks to the delicious, rich, sweet flavors of cheese and syrup. Let us get started with the Knafeh recipe. Read on!
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for the syrup
Four cups of granulated sugar
Two cups or 500ml of water
One teaspoon of lemon juice
Make available the following ingredients for Knafeh
A half kilogram of shredded phyllo dough
One kilogram of grated mozzarella cheese
One to two cups of butter
Orange food coloring
¾ cup of crushed pistachios
Instructions
For the syrup, you have to follow these steps:
Mix water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot
Place the pot over medium-high heat
Stir until the sugar dissolves
Now remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool
For the Knafeh, you will follow these steps:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Thaw the phyllo dough and transfer it to a bowl
Use your hands to pull the strands apart
Break the stands into smaller pieces
Pour the melted butter and coloring over the phyllo
Use your hands to mix the butter and foot coloring with phyllo
Spread half the dough in a round cake pan
Spread the cheese over the dough
Cover the cheese with a small amount of dough
Cover the edges to seal the cheese
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes
Remove from the oven and flip over onto a plate
Spoon the syrup over the Knafeh
Adjust the syrup based on your taste
Use crushed pistachios for topping and decoration
You can refrigerate the Knafeh
Warm the Knafeh for 20-30 seconds in the microwave before serving
Hawawshi is famous Egyptian street food in Alexandria and Cairo. Most people in these cities call Hawawshi “Baladi.” It is delicious food with dough or pita and stuffed with seasoned ground beef. It also contains onions, garlic, spices, herbs, and peppers. Let us now discuss how you can make Hawawshi. Read on!
Ingredients
One large yellow onion
Two cloves of garlic
One green pepper
One jalapeno
A half ounce of fresh parsley
Two pounds of lean ground beef
Three tablespoons of tomato paste
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Six loaves of pita bread
One teaspoon of coriander
One teaspoon of allspice
One teaspoon of paprika
One teaspoon of black pepper
A half teaspoon of cumin
¾ teaspoon of cardamom
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Instructions
Heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Add spices to a small bowl and mix well
Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, and jalapeno to the food processor
Pulse for a few minutes until the processor finely chops the ingredients
Transfer the mixture to a sieve and drain excess liquid
Transfer the onion mixture to a large-sized mixing bowl
Now add the ground beef and tomato paste
Mix these ingredients to combine
Add the spice fixture and some kosher salt
Remix the ingredients and distribute them appropriately within the meat
Cut the loaves and create twelve pita pockets
Use olive oil to brush a large sheet
Stuff each pocket with 1/3 cup of meat
Arrange all pita pockets in the sheet pan
Brush the pocket tops with extra virgin olive oil
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes
Turn the pitas over and cook the other side for 10 minutes
Sayadiyah Fish is not only famous in Egypt but also Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. It contains basmati rice and fish, and you can serve it with fish broth or green salad to satisfy your family’s taste buds. The total preparation time is two hours. Let us get started!
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for the broth
100 grams of butter
One pack of aromatic herbs
200 grams of onions
Nine garlic cloves
200 grams of leek
250 grams of carrot
150 grams of mushroom
Two kilograms of fish bones and locos
One teaspoon of anise star
One teaspoon of coriander
One teaspoon of cumin
A half teaspoon of black pepper
One cinnamon stick
Four pieces of carnation
Six pieces of cardamom
Three liters of water
One teaspoon of salt
Two tablespoons of lemon juice
100 milliliter of white grapes juice
You will need the following ingredients for preparing rice
One kilogram of locos fish
Three cups of basmati rice
130 grams of butter
One tablespoon of black pepper
¼ teaspoon of cumin
Salt and pepper
Two tablespoons of lemon juice
Six sliced onions
Corn oil for frying
You will need the following ingredients for the sauce
Fish broth
A half teaspoon of black pepper
Lemon juice
Salt
One tablespoon of butter for serving
Instructions
Preparing the fish broth requires the following steps
Heat your oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit
Add onion, butter, and fish to the grilling pan
Grill the mixture until you cook it properly
Pour some butter into a pot and heat over a high temperature
Add veggies and cook for 10-15 minutes
Add cooked fish bones, lemon juice, and white grapes
Remove frying leftovers over medium-low heat
Add water, spices, aromatic packages, and salt
Leave the mixture to boil
Now remove the surface bubbles and cover it
Cook for 30 minutes over low heat
Drain the broth
Cooking the rice requires the following steps:
Fry the onions until they have a golden brown color
Set aside half of the fried onions for topping or garnishing
Add fish broth to friend onions
Leave the mixture to boil for 25-30 minutes
Drain and keep the fish broth
Put the butter in a pot and melt it until it is golden
Add the rice and fry for another four minutes
Add spices and season the rice with pepper and salt
Add fish broth and cover it
Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes
Cook the fish with broth for about 5-10 minutes
Put the rice on a large plate and fish over its surface
Alexandrian Kebda, also known as Alexandrian liver, is one of the most delicious Egyptian dishes. It is readily available in almost all Alexandrian restaurants. If you love spicy food, nothing is better than making Kebda in your home and tasting the spicy flavors of hot peppers. The best thing about Kebda is that it is easy and quick to prepare. Let us get started with Alexandrian Kebda. Read on!
Ingredients
500 grams of sliced liver
Ten crushed garlic cloves
Five tablespoons of vinegar
Three lemons (juiced)
One teaspoon of salt
Two teaspoons of black pepper
One teaspoon of dried coriander
Two teaspoons of cumin
One teaspoon of chili
Four bell peppers
Four hot peppers
Two lemons
One small bun
One cup of oil
Two tablespoons of butter
Instructions
Use a deep dish to add lemon juice, vinegar, and liver
Now add cumin, coriander, garlic, black pepper, chili, and salt
Mix these ingredients well
Use a large frying pan and heat over a hot temperature
Add oil and butter to the frying pan
Butter gives a delicious taste
Use a large-sized frying pan for the appropriate cooking
Add the liver to the frying pan for five minutes
Cut hot and bell peppers into slices
Put the peppers on the liver and set aside for five minutes
Prepare the bread and liver in between the buns
Drizzle the lemon juice and enjoy the delicious Kebda
Bessara is one of the traditional Egyptian dishes characterized by creamy dip and flavors from fava beans and fresh green herbs. Most people layer Bessara with fresh garlic, ground coriander, and cumin. You can garnish Bessara with crispy onions and toasted almonds. Here is the list of ingredients and the step-by-step procedure to make Bessara at your home. Read on!
Ingredients
One pound or 16 ounces of fava beans
Ten tablespoons of olive oil
One cup of sliced yellow onion
Three tablespoons of chopped garlic
One or two teaspoons of ground coriander
One teaspoon of ground cumin
One cup of chopped cilantro
One cup of fresh parsley
A half cup of chopped dill
¾ cup of water
One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
One or two teaspoons of salt
¼ cup of sliced and toasted almonds
Instructions
Add some salt to the water and add it to the pot
Bring the pot to a boil
Now add fava beans to the pot and simmer for two minutes
Drain well and set aside to cool
Remove beans from pods and set aside
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet
Add onion to the skillet and stir until it is golden brown
Now heat four tablespoons of olive in a clean skillet
Heat the olive oil and add green onion, garlic, cumin, and coriander
Cook for at least 2-3 minutes
Now add fava beans and cook for 5-10 minutes
Remove from heat and set aside to cool
Transfer fava bean mixture to the blender
Add parsley, cilantro, water, dill, lemon juice, and salt
Blend these ingredients and transfer them to the serving bowl
Mahshi is a delicious Egyptian platter available in almost all restaurants. It is one of the favorite dishes of Egyptian people in Ramadan, allowing families and friends to gather for iftar and enjoy the delicious Mahshi. Let us list the ingredients and discuss the procedure to make Mahshi. Read on!
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make a rice mixture
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One medium yellow onion
Two tablespoons of tomato paste
One can or 16 ounces of tomato sauce
Two cups of short grain rice
One cup of fresh parsley
A half cup of fresh cilantro
1/3 cup of fresh dill
One tablespoon of dry mint
A half teaspoon of ground black pepper
A half teaspoon of salt
For cooking liquid, you will need the following ingredients
Two or three cups of hot water or stock
One bouillon cube
One teaspoon of tomato paste
Instructions
Use a large-sized pot for heating oil and onions for 2-3 minutes
Add tomato paste and sauce to the pot and stir appropriately
Add rice, spices, and herbs once the paste starts bubbling
Cook for at least 2-3 minutes
Turn off the heat and set aside the mixture to cool down
Wash the vegetables with clean water
Now stuff the vegetables with the rice mixture
Rice will expand after cooking
Arrange the stems, herbs, tomato slices, lemon slices, and onion slices
Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the pot
Dissolve tomato paste and bouillon in the hot water
Pour the mixture into the pot and cook the liquid halfway
Place the pot on medium-high heat for a few minutes
Now reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes to cook veggies
Set aside to cool down and serve the dish to your family or friends
Feteer Meshaltet is delicious Egyptian food characterized by multiple layers of dough with loads of butter and ghee sandwiched between the dough. It is one of the most famous pastries in Egypt and the Middle East. The best thing about Feteer is that it requires simple ingredients. So, you can easily make Feteer Meshaltet at home. Read on!
Ingredients
Four cups of all-purpose flour
One or two cups of tap water
¼ teaspoon of salt
One cup of unsalted butter
¼ cup of ghee or oil
Instructions
Combine the flour and salt
Add one cup of water and knead the flour
Set aside the dough for ten minutes
Make six to eight balls
Heat ghee or butter and pout it into a bowl
Apply the warm butter to the dough balls
Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes
Preheat your oven to 550 degrees Fahrenheit
Fold the dough and add the butter mixture in between it
Set aside the ball and make the next one
Place the ball on a 10-inch pie or baking dish
Make sure it is side down
Use butter to top the balls
Place the balls in the oven for 10-15 minutes
Once the Feteer starts to puff, turn it upside down
Add a small amount of butter on top and cover for a few minutes
Egyptian desserts are the most authentic and delicious sweet treats in Arabic cuisine. These delicacies are an integral part of the thousand-year culture, and most of the dishes have origins dating back to ancient Egypt.
Today’s article will list the ingredients and procedures to make an Egyptian dessert. We will instruct you to make the most popular dessert in Egypt, the Mahalabia. You will love the deliciousness of milk and heavy cream. Read on!
Ingredients
Two cups of milk
One cup of heavy cream
Two teaspoons of vanilla sugar
Three tablespoons of white sugar
Four teaspoons of cornstarch
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Instructions
Mix milk, sugar, cream, cornstarch, and vanilla sugar in a saucepan
Whisk these ingredients to create a good mixture
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over medium heat
Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until it has a thick texture
Remove the dessert from the heat
Pour pudding into bowls and set aside to cool at room temperature
Once cooled, you can refrigerate the dessert for one hour
Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve it to your family or friends
