Top 12 Egyptian Foods

Indulge in this savory meat pie once, and it will have you wanting more. Egyptian goulash is a phyllo meat pie. It has a crispy outer layer with a soft and savory inside filled with seasoned ground beef. Your family and friends will love this Egyptian goulash.

Kosheri is Egypt's national dish, and it is a vegan recipe. Kosheri is a mixture of rice, lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce, and garnished with crispy fried onions. Kosheri is one of The Egyptian Cook's favorite Egyptian foods.

Molokhia is jute mallow soup. It is a hearty, garlicky, and earthy soup. Molokhia is incredibly popular in Egyptian culture. Some Egyptians will eat it with rice (with rice is The Egyptian Cook's favorite way to eat molokhia), and others will dip fresh pita bread in it.

Hawawshi is an Egyptian style burger, and it is a popular street food. Hawawshi is a pita pocket packed with spiced beef. There is no cheese, and no toppings to hawawshi. The ingredients are all put through the food processor then incorporated with the ground beef to pack all the flavor in the meat. Use tahina sauce as a dip for hawawshi.

Egyptian salad is like the pico de gallo of Mexico. Some may refer to it as a cucumber and tomato salad. But what makes this Egyptian salad so great is the touch of dried mint leaves and flavorful pinkish salad water.

Ful madammas is slow cooked fava beans, and it is a breakfast staple in Egyptian culture. It is commonly paired with pita bread, ta'ameya (falafel), and Egyptian salad. When paired with ta'ameya, it is called "ful wa ta'ameya".

 Mish is tradition Egyptian cheese. Mish is made by fermenting salty cheeses for several years. Prepare this ancient cheese with diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and olive oil. Because of its salty nature, mish is commonly paired with watermelon on the side. 

Egyptian falafel is also known as "ta'ameya". The name is based on which region you are from. The country's capital of Cairo is one region which calls it ta'ameya. It is a street food and great appetizer to pair with Egyptian salad and ful mudammas.

 Macarona béchamel is one of Egypt's most popular pastas. It is made using a rich and creamy béchamel sauce, pasta, and seasoned ground beef. Macarona béchamel is perfect for inviting friends and family over for dinner, but be warned they may keep asking you for more once they try it. 

Egyptian pickled eggplant is fried eggplant stuffed with seasoned garlic and vinegar. Although it is not pickled in the traditional way, it is called pickled eggplant because of its literal translation from Arabic (pronounced bidingan makhalal, باذنجان مخلل).

 Egyptian style kofta is like a meatball. It is seasoned ground beef blended with a mix of onions, parsley, and garlic. Minced rice is also added to the seasoned ground beef prior to forming the shapes and cooking. After frying the kofta, it is added to a tomato sauce and served with vermicelli rice. 

Freek, or "freekah", is an Egyptian style whole grain young wheat. There are many variations of freek. This freek recipe is vegan and is packed full of flavor. The seasonings, golden raisins, and toasted almonds elevate this dish to another level of comfort.