Egyptian Concoctions: Africa's Most Wanted Recipes, #8

By Dr. Ope Banwo

Egyptian Concoctions: 
The Secret Recipes of the Egyptian People Of North Africa Revealed.

In a world where the need for natural foods and healthy traditional foods has become critical, the distinct cuisines and all-natural foods from different parts of Africa have become well-sought delicacies for their healthy, all-natural, and no-preservative compositions. 

In this edition of The Most Wanted African Recipes book series, Dr. Ope Banwo has provided the roadmap to the carefully guarded recipes of the most popular natural and healthy meals of the Egyptian People Of North Africa. 

With the easy-to-follow preparation steps provided in this book, anyone from around the world can now enjoy the legendary, healthy, and all-natural  cuisines of the Egyptian People Of North Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Netpreneur Books
• Release date: Jan 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224693467

Dr. Ope Banwo

Dr Ope Banwo, is an Attorney, Techpreneur, Digital Business Coach and author of multiple bestsellers. He has written several books on Business, Lifestyle, Internet Marketing and Life application of artificial intelligence tools. You can follow him on his blog at FearlessNetpreneur.com

Book preview

The Cultural History and Food Practices of the People of Egypt.

There’s nowhere in the world quite like Egypt. From the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx to the stunning Red Sea coast—there are endless historic, cultural, and recreational sites to visit. As you might expect, Egypt’s food culture is similarly rich.

You can of course eat all the classic foods like hummus, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and baklava that are popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Egyptian chefs often put their own spin on these beloved foods. You might, for instance, find that your hummus is flavored with cumin.

And you’ll also enjoy some distinctive dishes that either originated from Egypt or are specific to Egyptian cuisine: Think ful and kushari, for example. Read on to get some ideas about what to try on your next vacation in Egypt.

1.  Egyptian Koshari Recipe

Koshari (Egyptian National Dish) - The Delicious Crescent

Koshari (also spelled, Kushari) is the national dish of my birthplace, Egypt. By far one of my favorite things to eat—EVER! No matter how far I've traveled, I will always crave a humble bowl of koshari as served in the streets of Egypt.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crispy Onion Topping

1large onion, sliced into thin rings

Salt

⅓ cupall-purpose flour

½ cupcooking oil

For Tomato Sauce

Cooking oil

1small onion, grated

4garlic cloves, minced

1 tspground coriander

½-1teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1can 28-oz tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

1-2tablespoon distilled white vinegar

For Koshari 

1 ½ cupbrown lentils, picked over and well-rinsed

1 ½ cupmedium-grain rice, rinsed, soaked in water for15minutes, drained

½ tspeach salt and pepper

½ tspcoriander

2 cupselbow pasta

Cooking oil

Water

115-oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and warmed

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Make The Crispy Onion Topping. 

Sprinkle the onion rings with salt, then toss them in the flour to coat. Shake off excess flour.

In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat, cook the onion rings, stirring often, until they turn a nice caramelized brown. Onions must be crispy, but not burned (15-20 minutes).

Make the Tomato Sauce. 

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add the grated onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (do not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using, and saute briefly until fragrant (30-45 seconds more).

Stir in tomato sauce and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens (15 minutes or so).

Stir in the distilled white vinegar, and turn the heat to low. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Make The Koshari

Cook the lentils.Bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until lentils are just tender (15-17 minutes). Drain from water and season with a little salt.(Note: when the lentils are ready, they should not be fully cooked. They should be only par-cooked andstill have a bite to them as they need to finish cooking with the rice).

Now, for the rice. Drain the rice from its soaking water. Combine the par-cooked lentils and the rice in the saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add warm water to cover the rice and lentil mixture by about 1 ½ inches (you'll probably use about 3 cups of water here). Bring to a boil; the water should reduce a bit. Now cover and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and both the rice and lentils are well cooked through (about 20 minutes). Keep covered and undisturbed for 5 minutes or so.

Now make the pasta. While the rice and lentils are cooking, make the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a dash of salt and a little oil. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain.

Cover the chickpeas and warm in the microwave briefly before serving.

Put It All Together! 

To serve, fluff the rice and lentils with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and ½ of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally ½ of the crispy onions for garnish. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.

2.  Egyptian Lentil Soup

a blended soup made of red lentils and vegetables, in a white bowl

Lentils are a staple in Egyptian cuisine, and this soup highlights the legume in its glory. Different Egyptian states have their version of the soup. If you like your soup with a bit of a kick, this version is the one to beat.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

1 medium yellow onion, diced 

1 large celery rib, diced 

1 large carrot, diced 

4 large garlic cloves, minced 

1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces 

1.5 cupsred lentils

2 quarts vegetable broth 

2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more or less, depending on your heat preference) 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric 

2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional lemon slices for squeezing over the top of finished soup 

kosher salt, as needed 

plain Greek yogurt, optional garnish 

chopped cilantro, optional garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. When oil starts to shimmer, stir in