Timeless RecipesBy Amal Moustafa

THE FLAVORS OF EGYPT

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Table of Contents

* Falafel........................... 04* Hummus....................... 08* Ful Meddames............... 11* Grape Leaves................. 13

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FalafelFalafels are sold by street vendors and fast food restaurants in Cairo They are a

representation of Egyptian culture.

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Ingredients1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans - you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!1 small onion, roughly chopped1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted)1 1/2 tbsp flour1 3/4 tsp salt2 tsp cumin1 tsp ground coriander1/4 tsp black pepper1/4 tsp cayenne pepperPinch of ground cardamomVegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)

You will also need:Food processor, skillet

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Falafel Steps1. Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water. Let them soak over night.

2. Drain and rinse the beans. Pour them into your food processor with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom. Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms. Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

3. Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches. Meanwhile, form falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop.

4. Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan. If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total). If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center.

5. Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.

6. Let them drain on paper towels. Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce.

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HummusHummus is a traditional Middle Eastern food that is commonly known around the world.

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Ingredients3 1/2 cups soaked and cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (1 1/2 cups dry)

OR

2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans (15 oz. each), drained and rinsed - I prefer cooked beans

1/3 cup tahini paste

8 roasted garlic cloves, or more to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

3/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Paprika and fresh minced parsley for garnish (optional)

You will also need:Food processor

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Hummus Steps1. If using canned chickpeas, drain the chickpea water from one can into a small bowl and reserve. If cooking the beans, follow my soaking and cook-ing instructions here. Drain the beans after cooking, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water in a small bowl.

2. Squeeze each chickpea gently to remove the skin, then discard the skins before processing. While this step is not completely necessary, it will ensure that your hummus turns out very smooth and creamy.

3. Reserve about 15-20 whole chickpeas for garnish. Outfit your food pro-cessor with a blade attachment. Place chickpeas, tahini paste, roasted garlic, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper into the processor.

4. Pulse the ingredients for about 60 seconds, then process until smooth. Taste the mixture and add more salt, lemon juice, or garlic to taste. Pro-cess again to blend any additional ingredients. If the texture seems too thick, add some of the reserved water from the chickpea can or cooking liquid and continue to process until desired consistency is reached.

5. Transfer hummus to a shallow bowl and create a well in the center with a spoon. Garnish with reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprin-kle of paprika and minced fresh parsley. Serve with pita, crackers, or fresh dipping vegetables.

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Foul Medammas

Foul Medammas is a traditional Egyptian type of food that can also be found in street vendors and fast food restaurants in Cario.

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Ingredients2 cups (16 oz.) cooked or canned fava beansExtra virgin olive oil1/2 onion, minced2 raw or 4 roasted garlic cloves, chopped (to learn to roast garlic,1 tsp cumin1/2 cup waterSalt and black pepper to tasteJuice from 2 fresh lemons (or more to taste)Optional ToppingsSliced hard boiled eggDiced ripe red tomatoRaw onion sliced into ringsFresh minced parsley or cilantroRed chili pepper flakesPaprika

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Foul Medammas Steps1. Use either dried or canned beans in this recipe. If using dried beans, soak them overnight, then cover with water and simmer till tender (this can take up to 2 hours or longer and will prolong the recipe prep time signifi-cantly). Drain and set aside, then proceed with recipe. If using canned fava beans, pour them into a colander to drain. Rinse the beans in cold water. Set aside, then continue with recipe.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Fry the diced onion till it becomes translucent and golden. Add garlic and cumin, sauté for 1 minute till fragrant. Add the fava beans to the pan, then add about ½ cup of water to the skillet. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, season with salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about ½ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper). Cover the skillet.

3. Let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes on medium low heat until the beans are nice and tender. Remove lid from pot and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by about 75 percent. Remove from heat.

4. Pour the fava bean mixture into a mixing bowl. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice. Mash the mixture to a semi-smooth consistency; it should be a little more chunky than hummus. For a mashing tool, I like to use my spice pestle. You can also use a potato masher or the back of a large metal spoon. Drizzle olive oil lightly on the foul medamma. Garnish with the ingredients of your choice.

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Grape Leaves

Grape leaves are a traditional type of Middle Eastern that are also widely known like hummus.

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Ingredients1/2 cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups long grain white rice

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 cup fresh minced dill

1/4 cup fresh minced mint

6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth (a yellow broth is best), divided

50 large grape leaves (fresh or jarred)

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and olives (for garnish - optional)

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Grape Leaves Steps1. Pour the pine nuts into a skillet and lightly toast them over medium heat till golden brown. Reserve.

2. Pour ¼ cup of olive oil into a medium pot and heat it over medium. Add minced onion to the pot and sauté until soft. Add the rice to the pot and stir to combine. Sauté for another minute. Pour in ¾ cup vegetable broth and lower the heat; simmer the rice uncovered for about 10 minutes till the liquid is absorbed and the rice is half cooked. Do not cook the rice fully, or you’ll end up with mushy grape leaves! Just cook it to an al dente texture. Remove pot from heat.Add the minced dill, mint, toasted pine nuts, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the pot of rice.

3. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. As the water is heating, trim the leaves by cutting the stems off, flush with the leaves. Place the leaves in the boiling water and let them soften for 3-5 minutes till they become pliable (fresh leaves may take a bit longer to soften than jarred). Drain, then cover the leaves with cold water. Drain the leaves again and pat them dry.

4. Place 2 tbsp of rice filling at the base end of the leaf, near where the stem was. Fold the stem end up over the filling. Fold the edges of the leaf inward.

5. Continue rolling the leaf till it forms a neat rolled package.

6. Squeeze the roll gently to seal.

7. Repeat the process with the remaining leaves till all of the filling is gone.As you roll the leaves, you may find some leaves that are damaged or have large holes. Place those damaged leaves into the bottom of your saute pan to line it and create a bed for the stuffed leaves.

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Amal MoustafaAmal Moustafa was born and raised in Alexandria Egypt. She learned how to cook very well from her mother when she was just 8 years old. She began to fall in love with cooking even moreover the years and she is now a very well accomplished cook known all over the world.

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THE FLAVORS OF EGYPTwww.mahshymasr.com