Today we’re heading to sunny Egypt — the land of pharaohs, spices, and generous cuisine, where every dish carries a history thousands of years old. We’ll make two iconic mains and one legendary dessert that Egyptians are proud of, and rightly so.
A thick, velvety mash of slow-cooked fava beans with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and cumin. This is Egypt’s signature breakfast — a hearty, fragrant dish with an earthy flavor, served with warm pita, fresh vegetables, and pickled onions.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Dried fava beans — 400 g (or 2 400 g cans)
• Extra Virgin olive oil — 80 ml
• Large lemons — 2 (juice)
• Garlic — 5 cloves
• Ground cumin — 2 tsp
• Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
• Cayenne pepper — 0.5 tsp (to taste)
• Fresh parsley — 1 large bunch
• Ripe tomatoes — 2 medium
• Coarse salt — to taste
• Red onion — 1
• Pita bread — for serving
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the beans.
If using dried fava beans: soak them in cold water for 12–16 hours (overnight). Use 3 times as much water by volume as beans. By morning, the beans will have roughly doubled in size — a sign that they are ready to cook. Drain and rinse.
Step 2. Cooking the beans.
Place the soaked beans in a heavy-bottomed pot and cover with fresh water so that it rises 5–7 cm above the beans. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and simmer for 1.5–2 hours. The beans are ready when they mash easily between your fingers without effort. If using canned beans, drain, rinse, and proceed to step 3.
Step 3. Making the mash.
Drain off most of the cooking liquid, leaving roughly 100–150 ml in the pot. Using a potato masher or fork, mash about two-thirds of the beans into a coarse purée, leaving one-third whole — this texture is what makes ful authentic. The mixture should be thick, but not dry.
Step 4. The fragrant seasoning.
Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press. Add the garlic, 60 ml olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons, cumin, paprika, and cayenne to the beans. Mix thoroughly and warm over low heat for 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly. The cumin should bloom — you’ll smell its rich, nutty aroma.
Step 5. Preparing the toppings.
Dice the tomatoes into 5x5 mm cubes. Slice the red onion into thin 2 mm half-moons. Finely chop the parsley with a knife.
Step 6. Serving.
Spoon the ful into a deep plate and make a well in the center. Pour the remaining olive oil into the well. Top with the diced tomatoes, sprinkle with parsley and a pinch of cumin. Arrange the red onion half-moons alongside. Serve immediately with warm, freshly heated pita.
Step 7. Final check.
Perfect ful has a creamy but not completely smooth texture. The flavor should balance the earthiness of the beans, the acidity of lemon, and the warmth of cumin. If it needs more brightness, add more lemon juice.
💡 Fact: Ful Medames is considered one of the oldest dishes in the world — traces of it have been found in the tombs of pharaohs from the 12th Dynasty, more than 3800 years ago. In Cairo, it is sold on every corner from early morning, and Egyptians joke that the day does not begin without ful.
Juicy, spiced patties of minced lamb (or beef) with parsley, onion, and a bouquet of spices, molded onto flat skewers and grilled until richly browned. Crisp and caramelized outside — tender and fragrant within. Served with tahini sauce and fresh flatbread.
Ingredients (serves 4–5, about 12–14 skewers):
• Lamb (or beef) — 700 g, at least 15–20% fat
• Yellow onions — 2 medium
• Fresh parsley — 1 large bunch (about 50 g)
• Fresh mint — 1 small bunch (about 15 g)
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Ground cumin — 2 tsp
• Ground coriander — 1.5 tsp
• Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
• Ground cinnamon — 0.5 tsp
• Freshly ground black pepper — 1 tsp
• Salt — 1.5 tsp
• Chili flakes (Aleppo or regular) — 0.5 tsp
• Flat metal skewers — 12–14
For the tahini sauce:
• Tahini (sesame paste) — 100 g
• Lemon juice — 3 tbsp
• Garlic — 1 clove
• Cold water — 60–80 ml
• Salt — to taste
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the meat.
The meat should be chilled, not frozen. If using a whole piece, cut it into 3x3 cm cubes and pass it through a meat grinder with a coarse plate twice. If using ready-ground meat, make sure it is fatty enough (lean mince will make tough kofta). Place the meat in a large bowl.
Step 2. The fragrant base.
Grate the onion on a fine grater and make sure to squeeze it through cheesecloth or a sieve — excess moisture will make the mince loose, and the kofta will not stay on the skewer. Press the garlic through a garlic press. Finely chop the parsley and mint with a knife into 2–3 mm pieces. Add the onion, garlic, and herbs to the meat.
Step 3. Spices and kneading.
Add all the spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, chili flakes, and salt. Knead the mince vigorously with your hands for 4–5 minutes — this is crucial for developing the protein bonds that will hold the kofta on the skewers. The mixture should become dense, uniform, and slightly sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 is better).
Step 4. Shaping.
Wet your hands with cold water. Take a portion of mince the size of a large egg (about 60 g) and wrap it around a flat skewer, shaping it into a long sausage 12–15 cm in length and about 2.5 cm thick. Flatten it slightly — an oval cross-section ensures even cooking. Repeat with all the mince.
Step 5. Making the tahini sauce.
In a bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, and pressed garlic. The mixture will thicken at first — that is normal. Gradually add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until the sauce becomes pourable, like thin sour cream. Season with salt to taste. The sauce should be smooth, creamy, with a pleasant tang.
Step 6. Grilling.
Heat a grill, grill pan, or brazier to high heat (220–240°C). Oil the grate or pan. Place the kofta on the grill and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side (4 turns total, 12–16 minutes overall). Do not turn them too early — wait until the underside has developed a pronounced deep golden crust. Doneness: clear juices run when pressed, internal temperature 72°C.
Step 7. Serving.
Remove the kofta from the skewers and arrange on a warm platter. Set the tahini sauce alongside, add lemon wedges, fresh mint leaves, and thinly sliced red onion. Serve with warm pita or lavash. Egyptians often add a salad of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes dressed with olive oil to their kofta.
💡 Fact: Kofta kebab is mentioned in medieval Arabic culinary manuscripts from the 13th century. In Egypt, kofta is traditionally cooked over fruitwood charcoal, which gives the meat its distinctive smoky aroma. On the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, kofta is grilled right before customers’ eyes — one of the country’s great street-food rituals.
A lavish Egyptian dessert of the finest crisp strands of kataifi pastry, soaked in butter, with a filling of stretchy melted cheese or delicate cream, generously drenched in fragrant sugar syrup with rose water. Golden and crisp outside — creamy and melting within.
Ingredients (for a 26–28 cm pan, 8–10 servings):
For the base:
• Kataifi pastry (fine shredded pastry) — 500 g
• Butter — 200 g (melted)
For the cream filling (ashta):
• Whole milk — 500 ml
• Sugar — 80 g
• Cornstarch — 3 heaping tbsp
• 33% cream — 100 ml
• Rose water — 1 tbsp
• Vanilla extract — 1 tsp
For the syrup (shira):
• Sugar — 300 g
• Water — 200 ml
• Lemon juice — 2 tbsp
• Rose water — 1 tbsp
• Floral honey — 1 tbsp (optional)
For decoration:
• Pistachios — 50 g (crushed)
• Shredded coconut — 1 tbsp (optional)
Method:
Step 1. The syrup (make this first; it must cool).
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring for exactly 8–10 minutes over low heat. The syrup is ready when it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon in a thin layer. Remove from the heat, add the rose water and honey, and stir. Cool completely — hot syrup will make the kunafa soggy.
Step 2. The cream filling (ashta).
In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch with 100 ml cold milk, stirring thoroughly until all lumps dissolve. Pour in the remaining milk and cream, then add the sugar. Set over medium heat and whisk continuously. After 5–7 minutes, the mixture will begin to thicken — keep stirring for another 2–3 minutes, until the cream reaches the consistency of thick custard (it should hold the whisk’s trail for 3–4 seconds). Remove from the heat, add the rose water and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap directly against the surface of the cream and cool to room temperature.
Step 3. Preparing the kataifi pastry.
Take the kataifi pastry out of its package and spread it on a cutting board. Gently separate and fluff the strands with your hands, tearing any overly long strands into 5–7 cm pieces — this will ensure an even texture. Pour in the melted butter and mix thoroughly with your hands so every strand is coated. The pastry should become golden, moist, and fragrant.
Step 4. Assembly.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) or 190°C (top-bottom heat). Take a round 26–28 cm pan. Spread exactly half of the prepared kataifi pastry over the bottom, distribute it evenly, and firmly press it down with your palms or the bottom of a glass. The layer should be even, compact, and without gaps. Spoon the cooled ashta cream over the top, smooth it with a spatula, leaving a 1 cm border around the edges. Cover with the remaining kataifi pastry and press down once more. The top layer should be even and compact.
Step 5. Baking.
Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a deep golden-brown. Check after 25 minutes — if the top is browning unevenly, rotate the pan 180°. The kunafa is ready when the top layer is vivid gold with patches of dark amber, and you can see the butter gently bubbling around the edges of the pan.
Step 6. Soaking with syrup.
Remove the kunafa from the oven. Immediately, while it is hot, evenly pour the COLD syrup over the entire surface. You will hear a characteristic sizzle — that is exactly right. The temperature contrast (hot pastry + cold syrup) is the secret to the crisp texture. Let it stand for 5–7 minutes so the syrup can soak in.
Step 7. Serving.
Cover the pan with a large flat plate and, in one confident motion, invert the kunafa. The crisp golden side should end up on top. Generously scatter with crushed pistachios and, if desired, shredded coconut. Cut into individual portions. Serve warm — it is when warm that kunafa reveals its magic: crisp strands outside and a luscious, creamy filling within.
💡 Fact: Kunafa is the “queen of Arab desserts,” and Egypt is considered its spiritual homeland. Legend has it that kunafa was invented during the Fatimid Caliphate especially for suhoor (the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan), to give the faithful energy for a full day of fasting. In Cairo, there are pastry shops that have specialized exclusively in kunafa for more than 100 years.