Help! Egyptian recipes!

Post by **Goddess** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:50 pm

It's not often I do a shout out for help!
But - HELP!!

The problem:
In return for me and my daughter staying at my brothers house for a couple of nights, I promised I'd make an Egyptian meal. The problem is he's a veggie, is probably has bog all in his cupboard and is disabled so I'll be having to cook it and keep an eye on the 10 month old as he'll do the best he can - but she's a handful at best of times!

Sooooooooo
I'll be taking a secret stash of pickled lemons and pickled aubergines in my luggage as a bit of a taste sensation treat .... but what else should I do??!!
Should I just stash a can of fuul in my luggage too (he lives in the sticks - no shops for miles!)
On past forays into his fridge it really has been depressing - so it has to be something I can lay my hands on in a village shop, or something he MAY have lurking in there (and chances are there won't be any veg in there at all - I'm even doubtful about the existence of onions and garlic!)
On thinking about it - don't think he has many pans either!

Post by **warda** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:11 pm

You can also buy tahina, some (feta) cheese if he eats dairy, fuul is good too:)
I think I saw a package of tameiya stuff for sale in some shop. You know the stuff like you just add water and then you can make the most delicious food

I do not know how frying tameiya with holding a baby on one hand would work though.

What about egyptian moussaka, rice and mixed salad? It's easy and so good.

Post by **Goddess** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 8:19 pm

Good thinking Warda!
Hadn't thought of Tahina or feta. Sounds like we have the beginnings of a carpet picnic now! Maybe some Siwan olives and hummous and I may have a plan!

I had been secretly thinking about moussaga, and my first thought when I saw you mentioned that and rice and salad was: what a bloody excellent idea!!.
Then I remembered I can't cook rice. Well, I can, but even the dog turns her nose up at it and can't say I blame her! So anything involving rice may be out (although i may cheat and hope the village shop has uncle bens boil in the bag rice! :snig:

Post by **BBLUX** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:57 pm

Warda beat me to it with her suggestions. Just remember that UK tomatoes are rubbish compared to our Egyptian ones. No flavour and watery

Post by **Goddess** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 10:04 pm

Funny you should mention tommies BB, we've been discussing them up here the last few weeks. And we were saying how Egyptian tomatoes don't taste half as nice as they used to for the last three or four years and that possibly the vine ripened toms in the UK had a smattering more flavour now than a standard Egyptian one. I have noticed them sold on the vine in Metro - and keep meaning to try them out and see if they're any better. We seem to have missed out on a whole season of plum tomatoes this year - they're my favourite too

(sorry - feels like all I've talked about in the last few months with all and sundry has been the price and quality of veg! Note to self - get out more!)

Post by **Christine** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 10:51 pm

Hows about replacing the rice idea with cous cous?
If and i say if you could lay ya hands on a couple of nice aubergine, you could stuff em with some cous cous, and chopped veggies , add that to your idea of cheeses , tahina , humous and you have a feast

Post by **BBLUX** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:47 am

But why not be pre-occupied with the price and quality of tomatoes? They are after all a staple part of the Egyptian diet.
We bought some very nice large plum tomatoes this week...nothing wrong with their flavour

Post by **Goddess** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 2:20 pm

Good thinking Christine! Even I can cook cous cous!!
I was struck with another inspiration early this morning - veggie tagine.
So got a few ideas stashed under my hat now. can you get those aubergines in the UK that look like fingers? Or are they just those mammoth big ones - been that long that I went veggie shopping in the UK I don't have a clue what you have over there!
(But eagerly looking forward to a butternut squash that isn't the size of a small house)

Post by **Countessa** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:41 pm

Goddess, you *have* to make mahshi of course!! You can leave out the mince from the mixture (I'm sure you can get coriander & dill somewhere

).

Post by **Winged Isis** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:55 am

Could he be the one to cook the rice?

Post by **warda** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:09 pm

Countessa is right, nothing beats good kromb mahshi and it's so easy to make. Just takes bit time. My MIL makes huge ones and then just cuts the rolls to smaller pieces. We never put mince meat to our mahshi.

The easiest thing is of course to make shatta mahshi. Then just serve bread, tahini, batatis magleya, cheese, salad and other things ot the side.

Post by **Goddess** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:34 pm

Now that's an even better plan! Mahshi I'm good at!

This is nothing to do with anything - but I suddenly thought of it yesterday, something I haven't eaten in years and the only few times I ever had it was down in Luxor: Fried hardboiled eggs!!

Post by **Horus** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 5:50 pm

Goddess, my only contribution to this thread will be to say that Tesco's sell perfect sized Butternut Squash, Mrs H will dice them up, drizzle with toasted Sesame oil, add cracked black pepper and salt to taste and roast in the oven. She covers the tray in foil until they are beginning to go soft then removes foil to crisp them very slightly. Often served in our house as an accompliment to other cooked veg, usually a Sunday lunch, delicious

Post by **warda** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:08 pm

Goddess wrote:Now that's an even better plan! Mahshi I'm good at!

This is nothing to do with anything - but I suddenly thought of it yesterday, something I haven't eaten in years and the only few times I ever had it was down in Luxor: Fried hardboiled eggs!!

Goddess, I do not have any idea what you are talking about. Never heard of such dish. It doesn't sound very tasty

Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:41 am

I was served fried-boile eggs with fuul a few times, but in Aswan. And I was told then that its typical??? I don't particularly like fuul, but with the eggs it was quite nice!

Post by **Goddess** » Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:00 pm

Horus wrote:Goddess, my only contribution to this thread will be to say that Tesco's sell perfect sized Butternut Squash, Mrs H will dice them up, drizzle with toasted Sesame oil, add cracked black pepper and salt to taste and roast in the oven. She covers the tray in foil until they are beginning to go soft then removes foil to crisp them very slightly. Often served in our house as an accompliment to other cooked veg, usually a Sunday lunch, delicious

Thanks to Mrs H - will definitely be having that. Makes a lovely change to have a butternut squash that feeds two instead of a family of five for a week!! Everytime I see those whopping big things I wonder who on earth buys them!

Warda - fried hardboiled egg was actually tastier than it sounds (at least I think it was - may have to try and recreate it as I may just be looking at it with rose couloured glasses on!) Glad you've had it too SCE! Anyone any idea how to make it? All I remember was to hard boil the eggs, then I think they were cut into quarters, and then fried in butter (or it may have been samna?) Surely it was that simple? Been well over 11 years since I had that and now I've started thinking about it - I can't stop!