Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote

Tagen BAMIA (Okra) WITH MEAT

Tagen BAMIA (Okra) WITH MEAT 

Author: Marisa López Chicote 

Bamia or bamiya is a stew made from lamb, okra and tomatoes originating from the Middle East. It is found in all Arab countries but also in Anatolia and Greece. In Arabic, bamya literally means okra, the same fruit of the malvaceae family.

Bamia is one the Egyptian cuisine star dishes 

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg Okra small
  • 2 tablespoons of clarified butter (ghee)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 kilo of veal or lamb  meat in pieces
  • 2 chopped onions
  • 1 green pepper, chopped and 1 chilli pepper 
  • 2 tablespoons of Tomato paste
  • 4 chopped tomatoes
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Boharat
  • Cumin , Cardamom 

Elaboration:

  1. To peel the okra, peel the pyramid -shaped top and cut a very small piece bottom . Then rinse and let dry.
  2. First, I prepare the meat. In a pot, boil water with salt, pepper, cumin, boharat,  one onion, cardamom seed and cook for about 1 hour and half low fire. This can be done in express pot will take only 20 minutes 
  1. Once I have the meat done, I put in a pot a tablespoon of ghee and a chopped onion and chopped garlic and saute well. Add salt and pepper and a bit of cumin. Once become transparent, add the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and simmer well and let cook the tomato.            
  1. Add the bamia ( Okra),  the cooked meat with the broth and green pepper and 1 chilly peper and water if necessary and put all in a tagen. Put the tagen in the oven at 180 C and bake it for about 1 hour. Rectify salt and add lemon juiice .
  1. Serve hot with rice

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985, alhamdullah. She loves travelling and cooking.

Chicken Kabsa recipe

Kabsa is a rice dish that is enjoyed throughout the Gulf States of the Arabian Peninsula. Heavily influenced by Persian and Indian biryanis, kabsa makes use of the water that was used to cook fish or meat and re-using it to cook the spiced, long-grain rice in it, perfectly blending all the flavors and spices.

Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote 

Kabsa is a rice dish that is enjoyed throughout the Gulf States of the Arabian Peninsula. Heavily influenced by Persian and Indian biryanis, kabsa makes use of the water that was used to cook fish or meat and re-using it to cook the spiced, long-grain rice in it, perfectly blending all the flavors and spices.

The dish can be made with chicken, lamb, camel meat, fish, or even shrimps. The meat or fish is usually placed on top of the rice, and the whole dish is served on a large platter, meant to be shared and eaten by hands. Although it originated in Yemen, this traditional combination of rice and meat is incredibly popular in Saudi Arabia, where it is considered a national dish.

Across the Arabian Peninsula, kabsa is also known as machboos.

At home, we like chicken kabsa the most Here you have my recipe 

 Ingredients

 2 cups basmati rice

 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 

 1 teaspoon cloves

 2 teaspoons cumin

 1 teaspoon black pepper

 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

 1 pinch of nutmeg

 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)

 1 1/2 onions cut into julienne

 750 g chicken

 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped

 1 tablespoon tomato paste

 3 garlic cloves finely minced

 Salt

 1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper

 1/2 teaspoon cloves

 1/3 teaspoon cardamom

 1 cinnamon stick

 1/2 tablespoon of white pepper

 1 pinch of saffron

 1 splash of warm milk

 30 g of almonds

 25 g raisins

Elaboration 

 Wash the rice and soak it for 1 hour.

 Make the kabsa spice mix by grinding 1/2 teaspoon chili, 1 teaspoon cloves, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1 pinch of nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.

 In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the clarified butter to fry the onions until tender.  Add the chicken in pieces and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Subsequently, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, half of the spice mixture, garlic and salt to taste.  Cook until the tomato softens.

Add 3 cups of water, the bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon of whole black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cloves, 1/3 teaspoon of cardamom and the cinnamon stick.  Bring to a boil.  Then, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

 Preheat the oven to 180º C. On a baking sheet, place the chicken covered with the other half of the kabsa spice mixture and black pepper.  Bake a few minutes so that the chicken browns a little.

Once you remove the chicken and spices from the broth, add the rice and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the water.  At this time, pour the splash of milk mixed with the saffron on the rice and mix.  Cover so that the rice is finished cooking.

Serve the rice in a bowl.  Cover it with the chicken, almonds and raisins.

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985, alhamdullah. She loves travelling and cooking.

RAMADAN DRINKS

some Ramadan healthy drinks options to make at home.

Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote

Let us see some Ramadan healthy drinks options to make at home.  

SOBIA DRINK

Ingredients 

  •  Half a glass of grated coconut
  •  4 tablespoons of rice flour
  •  2 glasses of water
  •  Half a glass of sugar
  •  2 glasses of milk
  •  Half a glass of powdered milk
  •  1 tablespoon of vanilla essence

Elaboration 

 Put the rice flour in a bowl

 Mix the water with the coconut and leave it to rest in the fridge for 6 hours.

 Then whisk the rice flour, with the coconut water, the fresh milk and powder, the sugar and the vanilla

 Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and cool and ready to drink

QAMAR EL DIN DRINK

Qamar el Deen means in Arabic “Moon of the Religion,” many believe it was first produced in Ghouta, Syria due to the high yield of apricots there. While it’s unclear how the name originated, some believe it was named after its inventor’s good looks, while others believe it’s all thanks to a caliph who loved drinking it during the Holy Month.

Elaboration 

Cut two sheets of dried apricot leather and cut them down to size. Put them into a pot and add water. Put the pot on medium heat and let it simmer while stirring every once in a while till thickened.

Put the juice in a blender, add a teaspoon of rose water and sugar (two cups for every six cups of water). Start blending until fully combined. Put the final mix in the fridge till serving time.

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985 alhamdullah. I love travelling and cooking.  

TA3MEYA OR FALAFEL RECIPE

Falafel, also known as Ta3meya in Egypt, is a deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Arab food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa; “falafel” also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a mezzak or served as part of a meze.

TA3MEYA OR FALAFEL RECIPE

Author: Marisa López Chicote

 

The Falafel history is highly contested. 

Most common theories connect the invention of Falafel with Egyptian Coptic Christians that a 1000 years ago were looking for a vegetarian dish during lent. It was made of dried fava beans and from Egypt it has spread to the rest of the middle east. Different variations of Falafel started appearing, among them the one replacing the fava beans with chickpeas beans, which is presently the most common one.

No photo description available.

Falafel, also known as Ta3meya in Egypt, is a deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Arab food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa; “falafel” also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a mezzak or served as part of a meze.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of blended fava beans peeled (Foul mashus)
  • 1  chopped onion
  •  1 chopped clove of garlic
  • 2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 1  teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 3  tablespoons of sesame seeds
  • Fresh coriander
  • Fresh dill
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt and black pepper
  • cooking oil ½ –
  • 1 teaspoon of salt to taste

Elaboration

  1. Soak the foul overnight in cold water and blend it to get a paste 
  2. Chop the onions and garlic and place in a mixing bowl.
  3. Pull the chopped leaves of dill, coriander and parsley and add to the mixing bowl.
  4. Add the egg, baking soda, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin and salt to the bowl. .
  5. Recommend you add ½ a teaspoon initially and then add more as required to taste after blending.
  6. Add the foul to the mixing bowl and blend into a green paste. Then gentle kneed. If two moist add a little flour, if too dry add a couple of spoons of water.
  7. Heath the oil until it is bubbling.
  8. With a wet spoon shape the mix into flat discs 4cm x 2 cm. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds and add to the hot oil. The falafel is ready when it has turned brown on the outside. If you find your falafel is breaking apart upon contact with the oil it is too moist. Add some flour and roll it in flour before placing in the oil.
  9. Serve with hot pita bread, salad and hummus or baba ganoush.

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985, alhamdullah. She loves travelling and cooking.

Qataifs Stuffed with Nuts

Author; Marisa Lopez Chicote 

Ingredients 

For the dough 

  • 1 glass of flour 
  • 2 and a half glasses of semolina fine
  • 1 sachet of baking powder, 
  • 1 tablespoon of dry yeast, 
  • 4 glasses of water 
  • A pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar

For the filling 

  • Pistachios, coconut flakes,cinnamon, raisins and hazelnuts

For the syrup 

  • 2 glasses of sugar
  • 1 glass of water 
  • 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 
  • 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water 

Elaboration:

 Syrup:

First I prepare the syrup because it should be a bit cold before we can use it. 

In a pan, add all the syrup ingredients and heat medium fire until we get a little syrup. 

Qatayefs dough :

Mix  all the ingredients and beat in the blender and let the dough rest for 10 minutes and make them in a frying pan without oil only for one side.

 Filling  

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl 

Once we have our qatayefs dough ready, we can start to filling and close. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan and fry the stuffed qatayefs and once it have a golden colour take out and cover with the syrup and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

We can do out qatayefs also in the oven to be lighter 

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985, alhamdullah. She loves travelling and cooking.

EGYPTIAN STUFFED PIGEONS (HAMAM MAHSHI)

 

Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote

Egyptian Hamam Mahshi or stuffed pigeons have been served for centuries.  These pigeons are also known as squads.  Squab is a small pigeon that is loved by many cultures including the Egyptians.  It is not uncommon to see mud brick lofts which house the birds on the roofs all along the Nile. The birds were stuffed with a interesting grain called freekeh which is a cracked green wheat that has a unique flavor – almost nutty. Bulgur or rice could also be used. At home we like it stuffed with rice and it is one of my husband’s favourite dishes.

Ingredients:

For Pigeons and soup:

  • 4 pigeons, well cleaned
  • 1 whole medium onion
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cardamoms
  • Spices: cumin, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, boharat, cinnamon
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee

For stuffing:

  • 2 glasses of rice
  • Pigeons liver and gizzards cut in small pieces
  • 2 big onions, chopped.
  • salt and pepper and boharat to taste.

Elaboration:

1- Prepare the filling

2-  Place in a pan over medium-high heat with the chopped onion, pigeons hearts and gizzards and some salt & pepper and boharat to taste, Add the rice and mix well

3- Cool the stuffing first and then start stuffing the pigeons from the bottom and stuff the neck first but don’t over stuff 

4- When finishing stuffing don’t close it firmly to allow the broth inside, just put a slice of onion, and then hold the legs together with a cooking string.

5- Once you are done with all pigeons prepare the amount of water that’s just enough to cover the pigeons, boil the water in a pot with the onion, bay leaves, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, boharat, cumin,  salt and pepper (be careful with the salt you added some to the stuffing), when the water starts boiling add the pigeons and let it simmer over medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes or till cooked without any cuts in the skin (you can check the skin on the end of the legs with a fork to make sure it’s tender enough).

6- When the pigeons are cooked, melt the butter in a suitable pan on medium-low heat and sprinkle some salt over the pigeons, then place it in the pan and place it on all sides from time to time so the skin gains the same color all over it.

With the rest of the broth of cooking the pigeons, I prepare a soup and also molokhia

About the Author: Marisa Lopez Chicote is an event planner and mother of 5, living in Cairo and Muslim since 1985, alhamdullah. She loves travelling and cooking.

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