Get Your Five-a-Day in Egypt

The most famous and adored Egyptian green leaf dish of all is Molokhia. It is also most likely the first solid food Egyptians introduce to their babies. Variations of this dish also exist in other Arab countries like in Lebanon and Palestine. 

To make the dish, fresh Molokhia leaves are cut into tiny pieces to create a paste. A special half moon shaped blade known as a Makhrata is used to chop the leaves.

The finer and more paste-like the leaves are, the better. Broth is added to the green paste forming a soup-like texture. Garlic and dried coriander seeds are fried in ghee in a pan on the side and a mixture known as "Ta'aleya" is added to the Molokhia right before serving. 

The quality and price of Egyptian Okra (or Bamya) is judged by its size. The smaller the Okra, the less sharp its edges and sweeter it tastes. This makes the smaller Okras higher quality. 

Okra is cooked by sauteing it with finely diced onions and ghee. An Egyptian spice mix as well as cinnamon and nutmeg are added, along with tomato sauce. Meat or chicken broth is added last, giving the dish its  rich flavor. 

Sauteed meat cubes and onions are also commonly added to this dish before the Okra and tomato sauce are cooked. The mixture can be left to simmer on the stove until fully cooked. It is then transferred to a Tageen (Tagen) where it continues cooking in the oven for a delicious Tagen Bamia.

Like Bamia, Torly is cooked by sautéing mixed vegetables (mainly peas, carrots, potatoes, and zucchini) in diced onions and ghee and then adding spices, tomato sauce, and broth. It is also very common for Torly to be cooked with meat cubes. 

The dish can be put into a baking dish and placed in the oven to make Tagen Khodar or Vegetable Tagine.

Torly is a healthy and easy dish to whip up, and can easily be found on a daily Egyptian sofra but also at larger social gatherings. 

Moussaka is a fun dish to cook as each component is prepared separately and then assembled. Eggplants are fried or grilled in the oven with oil and salt while the tomato sauce is prepared by sauteing garlic in oil or ghee, softened with a few spoons of white vinegar. Tomato sauce is then added to the pan with salt, pepper, and Egyptian spices. 

The dish is then assembled by adding a layer of eggplants, cooked and spiced mince (if desired), another layer of eggplants with generous dollops of tomato sauce in between and on top. Finally the entire dish is placed in the oven to allow the different flavors to simmer and mix together.

Hulled green peppers, zucchini, and eggplants are stuffed with this mixture, then arranged in a pot on top of onion, carrot, tomato rings, and broth. Spices and ghee are mixed together and then added on top of the arranged Mahshi. 

The pot is sealed, and left to simmer slowly on the stove until the rice and vegetables cook. Mahshi can alternatively be arranged and cooked in a baking dish in the oven. The result is a delicious and much-loved Egyptian dish.