The holy month of Ramadan holds as much promise for the culinary enthusiast as it does the ascetic. Whether the fast is broken by a simple meal or a more elaborate one, much care is given in Egyptian households to preparing iftar, the main meal with which the fast that begins at dawn is broken at sunset. If one were to turn the pages of Egyptian cookbooks in search of a traditional recipe, nothing might be evocative of this multi-layered tradition than a 14th-century Egyptian cookbook penned during the Mameluke era entitled Kanz al-Fawaid fi Tahdir al-Mawaid (A Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table). The three recipes below are taken from this quintessential Egyptian cookbook, representing 600-year-old takes on dishes that are still popular in Egypt today. They are presented below in English as they were written in Kanz al-Fawaid, a translation which includes the original Arabic terms used in the book for ingredients. Many of the recipes did not specify the measurements for ingredients, on the assumption that a well-versed cook would be capable of assessing them. In view of this, the measurements for the three recipes below were provided for this article by Nawal Nassrallah, the scholar who introduced and translated Kanz al-Fawaid into English under the title of the “Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table.” The first recipe, Ibrahimiya, is an elaborate version of the currently popular slow- cooking stewed meat known as Kabab Halla. It is named after the Abbasid gourmet prince Ibrahim Ibn Al-Mahdi and can be presented as a main dish. The second recipe is an easy-to-prepare gourd (also called marrow or squash) fried in sesame oil and sprinkled with herbs. The third recipe is apricot compote that is prepared with a beautiful ritual in traditional serving ware and recommended in Kanz al-Fawaid specifically for Ramadan. A Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table Ibrahimiya Meat Stew Ingredients: One kilo of meat cut in chunks, preferably a bit fatty or marbled. Also possible with a leaner cut One to one and a half teaspoon salt according to taste One to two teaspoons of coriander seeds One teaspoon of black pepper Three to four pieces of cinnamon About five lumps of mastic Five small onions Half a kg of ground meat for meatballs One half cup of vinegar One quarter of a cup of pounded skinned almonds (add a bit more if the stew turns out too thin) About one quarter of a cup white sugar (try with two tablespoons first and see how it tastes, and add more as needed)
Method: Cut the meat into medium chunks and put it in a pot with enough water to submerge it. Throw into it a tied bundle of light linen containing finely ground coriander seeds, ginger, black pepper and aloes wood (this latter, ‘oud in Arabic, can be left out if not easy to find, and if found used only minimally because of its bitter taste). Aloes wood is used in the incense bokhour. If used, the serving bowl can be fumigated with it to give it an authentic aroma. Also add pieces of cassia (dar sini) (ground cinnamon can be used instead) and mastic gum. Slit three small onions cross-like, but leave them intact, and then add them. Then, shape a half kg of minced meat seasoned with salt and pepper and dried coriander into balls (kubab) and throw them into the pot. Add the salt. When the food boils, take out the cloth-bundle with the spices in it, and soak it for half an hour in the juice of unripe sour grapes (mahisrim atiq). If aged juice is not available, use fresh sour grapes (tari), and extract their juice by hand, without boiling the grapes. Alternatively, use distilled vinegar. Strain the liquid, thicken it (yurabba) with sweet almonds, finely pounded and pour it into the pot. Sweeten it with a bit of white sugar and add enough so that it does not taste overly sour. Leave the pot on the fire to simmer. Wipe the inner sides of the pot with a clean cloth, sprinkle a little bit of rosewater on top, and then remove. Serve.
Gourd (marrow or squash) fried in sesame oil Ingredients: One kg gourd Three quarters cup tehina One quarter cup of vinegar One quarter cup of lemon juice One half cup of pounded walnuts One quarter cup of finely chopped Macedonian parsley (baqdunis) Two tablespoons of finely chopped mint One half teaspoon of pounded coriander and caraway seeds One half teaspoon of spice blend A pinch of saffron Two crushed cloves of garlic One teaspoon or less of sugar One cup of flour for frying Sesame oil
Method: Scrape the skin of a gourd (yunhat) and cut into shawabir (small pieces). Roll the pieces in flour, as is done with fish. Fry in sesame oil. Put the fried gourd pieces on a plate and pour on them the tehina dissolved in a mix of vinegar, lemon juice, pounded walnuts, chopped spice blend, a bit of saffron and garlic. Sweeten the mix with sugar. Adjust the tehina sauce as you add it; if it looks too thick, thin it a bit by adding water or lemon juice if it can take more sourness. Spread the sauce on the gourd and serve.
Apricot stew (naqu) Ingredients: Half a kg of dried apricots Two cups of vinegar Three quarters of a cup of sugar (optional) One quarter of a teaspoon of saffron One half a teaspoon of spice blend A pinch of musk One tablespoon of rosewater
Method: Take the dried apricots and wash them with rosewater until all the sand and impurities are removed. Spread them in the sun to dry. Take a suitable amount of vinegar (two cups) and add sugar to it if you want it to be sweet. Also add a quarter of a teaspoon of saffron, as well as the spice blend, musk and rosewater. Add what is needed of these. Stir this liquid seasoning mix (mizaj) by hand, and then set it aside from early in the morning until noon, all the while keeping the apricots in the sun [to dry]. Now, take a wide-mouthed jar (barniyya), either porcelain (sini) or ceramic (qishani); wash it, dry it and perfume it with the smoke of aloes wood and ambergris. Close the opening of the jar while doing this, so that it is infused with enough smoke (bakhur). Take the apricots, put them in the jar and pour on them the prepared liquid mix. Top the surface with musk and rosewater and set it aside for an hour. The apricots are eaten, and the remaining liquid is served in small bowls (sukurruja) as a drink: it is sweet, strained (murawwaq) and clear. If the liquid is too strong for your taste, dilute it with some cold water. During Ramadan, make it early in the morning and serve it when the night sets [for the iftar meal]. During non-fasting days, make it at night and serve it the following morning.
