Three Egyptian Dishes to Try Without Leaving Your Home

When you think of a cuisine that has it all - history, richness, and diversity - look no further than Egyptian cuisine. As a civilization thousands and thousands of years old, there is truly nothing more spectacular than the magic Egypt holds within its culture and food. Its mix of North African cuisine, meeting Middle Eastern ingredients and flavors, has provided Egypt a rightful place as one of the world’s most vibrant culinary experiences. Today, we wanted to take some time to share several notable dishes with you that we hope will provide a glimpse into this rich cuisine. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the beauty of Egyptian cuisine, then follow us as we journey into this unique culinary landscape!

Ful Mudammas

One of Egypt's most famous and widely enjoyed dishes is ful mudammas, a hearty breakfast dish made from mashed fava beans, served with bread and garnished with herbs, spices, and lemon. A perfect meal for any time of the day, ful mudammas is so widely enjoyed within Egypt that many enjoy it for all meals! Typically this dish is served with warm pita bread and enhanced with lemon juice, herbs, fresh vegetables, and more, and best of all - this dish is vegan-friendly! 

While fava beans sound like they may be hard to find, they’ve been a staple within the Mediterranean diet for centuries and have become more popular than you might think! Fava beans are available in their dry version and canned (which you can find at your local grocery store, international market, or even online!). To make ful mudammas, you’ll need fava beans, a seasoning of ground cumin, crushed garlic, chili peppers, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, some diced tomatoes, and fresh parsley to top it all off!

Shawarma

If you’ve had Middle Eastern food, likely you’re familiar with mouthwatering shawarma. While the general gist of the dish remains the same across different cultures, you’ll find that Egyptian shawarma is a bit different from Syrian or Lebanese shawarma. In Egypt, you’ll likely find this shawarma variation made of meat eaten on a fresh pita bread heavily flavored with cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and paprika, as well as with numerous other spices. Egyptian shawarma is typically topped with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pickled vegetables, and either an amba mango sauce or tahini sauce! 

While it may sound like a bit of a complex undertaking, making shawarma at home is possible (and no doubt delicious)! Shawarma can be enjoyed with various types of meat, from chicken to lamb, all of which taste delicious and are worthwhile to try to recreate yourself. Although you may not have access to a rotisserie where typical shawarma meat is made, you can still make pretty tasty shawarma using your own oven or stove and some essential ingredients you can find at your local grocery store.

‍Shakshuka

If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy option for your next breakfast, shakshuka makes for the perfect choice. Shakshuka, a medley of tomatoes, onions, spices, and eggs poached on top, is an incredibly versatile dish that is also easy to make - you likely have all the ingredients already in your kitchen! Best of all, making shakshuka only requires one pan, making it a great option if you are low on space or don’t feel like making a ton of dishes. If you’re interested in making this dish for yourself, check out this version featuring feta, this traditional version, or this shakshuka with vegetables!

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