Egyptian Tabilch Recipes

TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

EGYPTIAN TABILCH

Steps:

• Cook rice in water with bouillon cubes, uncovered until water boils out.
• Separately cook zucchini, green beans and onion in tomato sauce for 10 minutes.
• Add spices and cook 10 more minutes.
• Pour over rice.

EGYPTIAN STYLE FATAH (RICE, MEAT, CRISPY BREAD, VINEGAR, GARLIC)

Steps:

• Put pita bread in the oven for 3 minutes till it becomes crispy.
• Break into bite size pieces, put in a glass baking dish.
• Pour the soup (about 1 cup) from the boiled meat in the baking dish over the crispy bread.
• Add the cooked rice over the bread.
• Sprinkle a lot of black pepper over the rice.
• In a frying pan cut the garlic into small pieces fry with oil till it is golden; add the vinegar (this will smell very good).
• Take the mix. of vinegar and garlic pour over the rice.
• Place the meat over the rice.
• Serve hot and enjoy.

EGYPTIAN HOLIDAY COOKIES (KACH AL AYID)

Steps:

• Prepare starter 30 minutes in advance. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Stir in the flour, salt and sugar and let stand until the mixture doubles in bulk and produces air bubbles.
• Meanwhile, to make the dough, melt the butter in a small saucepan and let it cool.
• Dough can be made by hand or in a food processor. To make it by hand, put the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the butter into the well and add the starter, rosewater and vanilla. Stir to blend. Rub the mixture between the palms of the hands until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add lukewarm water a little at a time until the dough can be gathered together to form a ball. Use as little water as possible. Knead the dough until it is smooth and even in texture. To make dough in a food processor, put the flour into the container of the processor and add the butter, starter, rosewater and vanilla while blending. If necessary, add lukewarm water, a little at a time, until the dough can be shaped into a ball and kneaded briefly. If the dough is too soft, it may be necessary to chill it briefly. If you overchill, let it rest at room temperature until it can be shaped by hand.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide the dough into 24 pieces of more or less equal size. Shape each piece into a ball.
• If you do not wish to use a filling, transfer the pieces of dough to a cookie sheet and flatten them into a cookie shape about half an inch thick or slightly thicker. Or if you use the filling, punch a hole partly down the center of each ball of dough. Shape the dough into a slightly curved saucer shape and put about one teaspoon or less of filling in the middle of the dough. Fold over the edges and seal. Place the dough, sealed side down, on the cookie sheet and press with the palms of the hands to flatten each into a cookie shape.
• Place the cookie sheet on the top rack of the oven and bake cookies 35 to 40 minutes. When done, cookies should have an even, golden color and the firmness of a cooked pie crust. Let cookies cool completely. Cover the top and sides of each one with a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar. If you plan to store the cookies, do not frost with confectioners' sugar until the day you use them.

TABOULEH

Steps:

• Prepare bulgur according to package directions; cool. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. If desired, chill before serving.

EGYPTIAN LAHMA BIL BASAL (BEEF IN RICH ONION SAUCE)

Steps:

• Combine beef, butter, and canola in a large saucepan; cook and stir beef over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions, chicken bouillon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to beef; pour in water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beef is tender and onions have reduced into a thick sauce, at least 2 hours.