Lunch in Egypt
Gadda غـَدّ َة (lunch) is the second meal of the day. It is generally eaten quickly, around sunset, before going back to (or starting) work, or moving on to the evening's social activities. Europeans eating in an Egyptian restaurant will be surprised, and maybe a little disappointed, how quickly the food arrives and is consumed: lunch is not regarded as an evening's entertainment.
The majority of Egyptians cannot afford to eat meat, so vegetarian food is very common. The most popular isktshari كةشـَريis rice, vermicelli, lentils and chick peas, served with tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. There are shops that just sell koshary.
Many dishes involve AaSaag, which is made by chopping or grating onion and then softening it in butter, then adding minced beef, salt and pepper.
- ktshari كةشـَري:
- Seenaayit baTaTis bil firiK صينا َيـِة بـَطـَطـِس بـِل فـِر ِخ: slices of potato steamed with butter and garlic, with chicken stock and 1 spoon tomato paste then layer of boiled chicken, then cooked in over
- habba wa habba حـَبّـَة و َ حـَبّـَة: washed rice, half fried until golden, then add the other half of rice, pepper, salt, then cover with water and boil it, then simmer
- ma'looba مـَقلوبـَة: line a bowl with beef boiled with tomato, fried sliced potatoes, onions and aubergines, rice/saffron/salt stock, simmer & top up
- sabanaK bil lahma ilmafrooma سـَبـَنـَخ بـِل لـَحمـَة ا ِلمـَفرومـَة: chop onions with butter softened, add mince salt and pepper, when cooked add spinach & green kudhbarao,
- samboosa سـَمبوسـَة: AaSaag (minced meat, onion, salt, pepper) optional shabat, boiled eggs, wrapped in filo pastry, or gibna biyda soft white and dried mint
- ru'aa' bil lahma mafrooma ر ُقا َق بـِل لـَحمـَة مـَفرومـَة: dip ruqaaq in beef stock, put layers of butter and ruqaq in pan, then cover iwth AaSaag, then three more layers rwqaaq: fry both sides gently (or cook in oven)
- mahshi kurunb مـَحشي كـُر ُنب: leaves without stalk, make 12cm squares, boil for 3 mins, chopped onion softened in buter, tomato juice, simmer till thick washed rice, shabat, kuthbara, baqdwnis, salt, dried kuthbara powder, put 1 tsp rice on square and roll loosely, put sliced tomatoes in bottom of pan, then layers of tightly packed rolls, 2 cups stock, boil for 5 mins, then cover completelty and simmer for 45 mins
- mahshi wara' Ainab مـَحشي و َر َق عـِنـَب: same but no spices and a little AaSaag
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Mike Green 22015