20 Traditional Egyptian Recipes

Egypt is a fascinating country with an equally fascinating cuisine. The food and traditional Egyptian recipes are suited to both meat lovers and vegetarian diets, so no matter what your preferences or dietary requirements, you’re sure to find something you love.

They eat a lot of foods with legumes and vegetables. Egyptian cuisine that is grown from the ground serves as the basis for the majority of Egyptian recipes.

Due to its rich soil and warm climate, Egypt is regarded as one of the greatest nations to have impacted current Mediterranean cuisine.

Humans have been cooking there since ancient times. This classic Egyptian recipes collection has all the information you need, whether you want to explore new Egyptian meals or learn more about what’s on your plate. We hope you enjoy trying delicious Egyptian food!

About Egypt

Egypt is a country that is on the boundary of Africa and Asia and the Mediterranean. With a roughly 8000-year-old culture, it is a remote region.

At first, Egypt was referred to as km.t, an Egyptian term that means “the Black country” and was named after the black, rich silts that accumulated on the banks of the Nile River during seasonal surges.

The basis and progression of Egyptian progress are due to these dark soils, which also greatly increase the productivity of the Nile’s banks. And traditional Egyptian cuisine is a component of that advancement.

What Is The Cuisine Of Egypt?

You’re likely to receive a completely different response if you ask somebody from Egypt about their favorite meal than if you asked a person from another nation.

This is so because the cuisine of Egypt is so varied and features foods from all corners of the globe. Legumes, vegetables, fruits, chicken, lamb, and seafood are all included in Egyptian cuisine.

The different cooking techniques include grilling, frying, boiling, and stewing. In order to prepare the main dish, grains like rice and wheat are frequently combined with meats or vegetables; pita bread and other regional differences are also employed.

While the majority of people associate avocados with Mexican cuisine, they can also be discovered in a variety of Egyptian foods like salads and morning eggs.

For instance, Egyptians frequently make tahini sauce from eggplant, tomato, onions, and garlic to put on sandwiches or to cover falafel.

The classic Egyptian cuisine is something that almost all tourists and visitors to Egypt absolutely adore. For all that it possesses! Delicious, authentic, tasty, and nutritious.

Nearly all of them—tourists or visitors to Egypt—begin looking for Egyptian recipe ideas of the dishes they have tried because they are sincerely and passionately in love with them and want to make sure their friends, families, and other family members back home can experience the exquisite taste and wonderful culinary experience they had throughout their time in Egypt.

What Makes Egyptian Cuisine So Special?

There are many things to adore about Egyptian food. The meal is hearty, tasty, and frequently highly nutritious. The fact that Egyptian cuisine has only a few basic items to prepare at home may be its best feature.

These recipes are tried and true since they have been passed down via families all over Egypt from generation to generation.

This traditional food has become popular in other nations as well. Nowadays, numerous eateries provide traditional Egyptian fare including mulukhiya, sayadeya, and kushari.

Foods with origins in ancient Egypt include hummus and falafel, for example.

1. Ful Wa Ta’meya

The bulk of visitors arrive to experience Egyptian cuisine, and this is the most popular traditional dish among those.

Fava beans are a delicious breakfast food that are cooked with tomatoes, a lot of olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt.

250g of split dried fava beans are used to make ta’meya, along with sesame seeds, garlic, onions, and chopped parsley. Salt, pepper, and oil are also used.

You must get a serving of fava beans with some delicious Ta’meyas in order to have your ideal breakfast.

2. Kushari

A small onion, two minced garlic cloves, one minced diced tomato, vinegar, ginger, spaghetti, pasta, fried onions, roasted chickpeas, and boiled white rice are all ingredients in the national traditional Egyptian dish known as kushari.

3. Fatta

This dish consists of rice, meat, and bread. Egyptians observe Fatta for special events like Aqeeqa, which is used to celebrate a new baby, or Eid El-Adha.

Egyptian fattah, a dish commonly eaten at Eid but a fantastic highlight for any celebration with family and friends, is a dish brimming with flavors from warming spices and succulent lamb. Here is a delicious recipe for it.

4. Feseekh

It is a gray mullet of the species Mugil, fermented, salted, and dried. With bread, lemons, and onions, it is primarily consumed in Egypt during the Sham El-Naseem celebration.

5. Hawawshi

With minced beef flavored with black and green peppers, salt, finely chopped onions, parsley, and chives, it is a traditional Egyptian sandwich.

6. Messa’a

With a blend of aubergine, garlic, onions, oil, salt, and pepper, it’s an Egyptian aubergine lunch buffet. It is a customary Egyptian dish that can be enjoyed both warm and cold on a Baba ghanog platter.

7. Shakshuka

Throughout Israel and other countries of the Middle East, shakshuka is a simple, wholesome meal that may be enjoyed for breakfast (or other time of the day).

Simple ingredients like simmered tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices are combined with gently poached eggs. You’ll prepare it over and over again since it’s healthy and filling.

It is an Egyptian morning dish that is primarily made with eggs, mashed garlic, sliced onions, tomatoes, and spices from Egypt such as pepper, chilis, and salt.

A balanced meal has everything you require and can be consumed with just bread, feta cheese, and lettuce.

8. Aish Baladi

This is the staple Egyptian bread that goes well with all varieties of Egyptian cuisine and contributes to a filling dinner.

It is from the time of Gamal Abd El-Nasser. Eish Baladi, Eish Fino, Eish Merahrah, Eish Shamsi, and Feteer Meshaltet are examples of common bread.

9. Mahshi

It belongs to a group of filled vegetable recipes that also includes tomato, eggplant, pepper, and onion. Warak Enab grapes also stand for mouthwatering dolmas with beef or chicken and lemon sauce.

10. Torly

It is an imaginative dinner made up of a variety of vegetables, such as tomato, onion, carrots, potatoes, and beans. As it keeps you warm, it is a good dish to consume in the winter.

11. Bamia

Tomato sauce, onions, garlic, coriander, vegetable oil, cardamom, pepper, and salt are all ingredients in this Middle Eastern dish.

It can be consumed the same day it is prepared or the day after, when it tastes considerably better.

12. Macaroni E Fagioli

It consists of cooked spaghetti with minced lamb and béchamel sauce, and is a contemporary Egyptian dish.

It consists of a base of pine pasta, then meat-and-onion mash, another level of pasta, then béchamel sauce on top.

13. Hamam Mahshi

Pigeon stuffed with rice and green wheat in the royal Egyptian style. Prior to being toasted or grilled, the bird is first boiled. It’s a pretty tasty lunch.

14. Kebda Iskandarani

One of the delectable dishes from Egypt is kebda iskandarani, which is made of tiny bits of liver that are stir-fried in garlic and fiery green pepper. It is served with a delectable Tahini dip in sandwiches.

15. Shawerma

It is a shredded beef, lamb, or chicken sandwich that is popular in Egypt. onion slices in a tahini salad, pep.

16. Hummus Dip

A popular Levantine dip, it. Chickpeas or other beans are cooked and mashed; they are then mixed with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic. Usually, it goes well with any type of food, especially seafood.

17. Sambosa

It is a savory meal that can be fried or baked and has a savory stuffing such as seasoned potatoes, onion, or peas. It is shaped like a triangle and varies in size.

Using chicken or meat filling, sambosa can be consumed as an appetizer or as a snack.

18. Yogurt Cucumber Dip

This appetizer is served with triangles of grilled or fried pita bread, a side dish to calm down any spicy entrée, or with roasted meats.

It can be eaten with any dinner. It includes yogurt, minced mint, tahini, salt, pepper, and smashed garlic.

19. Green Fava Beans And Feta Cheese

A wonderful snack that is suitable for brunch or as a quick appetizer before other delectable meals. Feta cheese is combined with green beans, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, some drill, and parsley.

20. Marinated Olives

A fantastic starter that goes well with all Egyptian cuisine because it tastes great as a side dish, especially if the rest of your meal isn’t salty enough.

Egypt’s Most Popular Foods

In terms of the food culture of the Mediterranean area, Egypt’s cuisine serves as both a link and a hinge between the cuisines of two sizable geographic areas: the Maghreb, or the West, which includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, and the Mashrek, or the East, which involves Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan.

Egypt is also in the middle, at the epicenter of tradition and history.

The staples of Egyptian food are bread, fish, veggies, and meat. Rice and vegetables are typically served with the meat, or lahm in Arabic, which is typically lamb or mutton, though beef and fowl are also common.

Whether freshwater or saltwater, Egypt boasts a wonderful diversity of fish and seafood. Nile tilapia is Egypt’s most popular fish, followed by eels, shrimp, sole, and Nile perch.

Eggplant is the vegetable that is most frequently consumed, but other common vegetables include beans of all sorts, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. The Jew’s mallow is the classic summer vegetable.

Foodie Advice For Egypt

Everyone can find something in traditional Egyptian cuisine, which is wonderful. The food in Egypt is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors.

Both meat eaters and vegetarians will find wonderful food in Egypt. From loaded pigeons to delectable sweets, Egyptian cuisine provides a wide range of traditional meals.

You should consider trying at least part of the local cuisine when making travel plans to Egypt. Unfortunately, particularly if you’re only for a week, you won’t have time to sample 20 different foods.

Visit the Egyptian Restaurant, get advice, and enjoy a great meal complete with soups and desserts.

If you dare, try some street food. GAD restaurants offer a gentle introduction to Egyptian cuisine if you are uncertain about local eateries or street food. Egyptian fast food is available from the restaurant chain GAD.

Are There Any Similarities Between Syrian and Egyptian Cuisine?

Both Syrian and Egyptian cuisines offer diverse and rich flavors that reflect their cultural heritage. While they share similarities in using aromatic spices and emphasizing hearty dishes, such as kebabs and koftas, each cuisine has its own unique specialties. Exploring the wonders of syrian cuisine and traditional dishes reveals distinct flavors that, while similar to Egyptian cuisine, offer an experience all their own.

Final Thoughts

People frequently associate Egypt with the pyramids, the River Nile, the Sphinx, and the Red Sea. However, there is another equally enjoyable experience to have while in this nation: their cuisine.

Egyptian and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine share a lot of commonalities. They both consume a lot of fruits, veggies, and legumes. They are therefore particularly suitable for vegetarian diets.

In Egyptian cooking, common meats are chicken, pigeon, duck, and rabbit. The most popular meats to grill are beef and lamb. Tea is Egypt’s national beverage, and beer is the most widely used alcoholic beverage.

Here, we’ve covered some of the best classic Egyptian foods to try while traveling to Egypt or even if you just want to prepare these delectable dishes at home to wow your dinner guests.

Frequently Asked Questions