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Eating vegetarian food in Egypt is all about economics. The cheapest eateries in Egypt often offer only a single dish, which is usually vegetarian. In local restaurants, where food is a fast, cheap, volume business, about the half the menu will be vegetarian including many of the most popular dishes. However, once you crack the expensive and / or tourist orientated places vegetarian food is scarce and sometimes non-existent. Nothing illustrates this better than koshary.
Koshary is a very popular Egyptian dish that is made by mixing rice, vermicelli noodles, chickpeas, brown lentils, and maccaroni, then covering it with dried fried onion and tomato sauce. It reminded me of the kind of comfort food I’d make on a Friday night, when I have nothing in the cupboard but odds and ends. As comfort food has been hard to come by these last few months, it was a real pleasure to find a country that’s elevated it to the status of a national dish.
Koshary is served in dedicated “koshary houses”, which are distinguished by the large silver vats in the window which hold the various ingredients. Many koshary places serve nothing else, though you can choose which size dish you’d like. Although the ingredients are standard, the taste varies from place to place. My favourite variation was adding chilli to the tomato sauce, or else serving the koshary with a small side dish of chilli sauce.
Koshary is full of carbohydrates, but is pleasantly low on oil and fats because most of the ingredients are boiled. Small dishes of Koshary generally cost 2 - 3 Egyptian pounds, and large dishes cost between 4 - 5 Egyptian pounds (i.e. 50c). Koshary is eaten for lunch and dinner, and is a great vegetarian alternative to expensive, and generally disappointing tourist meals in Egypt.
Comments:
6 Comments posted on "Koshary and the Economics of Vegetarian Food in Egypt"
Kathryn Elliott on September 14th, 2007 at 8:13 am #
What an excellent vegie meal that is. I agree, it’s very like the sort of thing I’d throw together on a Friday night. However I’m sure it’s much more fun eating it in Egypt, than on the couch in front of the TV! Sounds like you’re having fun Kate.
Maryanne Stroud Gabbani on September 14th, 2007 at 3:03 pm #
Most of the mezze dishes in Egyptian restaurants are also vegetarian, such things as cheese with tomato, aubergines fried or pickled, bessara (a pate of fava beans served cold with friend onions on top), and so on. That’s because the traditional cooking is and was vegetarian with meat being something only eaten once a week. The basic food of Egypt is foul and taameya, which provides much of the population with its ‘go’. Foul is fava beans soaked and then cooked to softness and seasoned in a number of ways, such as with garlic or lemon. Taameya is the same fava bean that has been soaked and then ground uncooked with herbs, garlic, onions and then fried in patties. These are often eaten in sandwiches and are both tasty and satisfying enough to keep you going most of the day
cd on September 18th, 2007 at 6:17 am #
Fuul eaten at Mohamed Ahmed in Alexandria comes in 15 varieties and they have a cool veggie omelet called iggah…u’ve gotta try it and the fuul iskandarani
kpounder on September 19th, 2007 at 12:09 am #
Hi Kathryn - great to hear from you. Koshary is really tasty and something that I’ll be attempting at home! Maryanne - WOW! I wish I’d known about your blog before I went to Egypt. Thanks so much for the information. I have a couple of other posts planned for Egypt so will make sure to add your suggestions and a link to your blog. CD - If I’d only known!! We were in Alex for a couple of days and were looking for somewhere veggie friendly for lunch. Next time I’m there I’ll have to try it.
Annika on October 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm #
this sight needs way more information such as. (Where this place is, The cost per dish approxamatley, ect!!!) Please provide this information as people who may be travaling to Egypt, Cairo may need this kind of information… just like me!! Thank You very much for reading and taking interest in my e-mail yourse Annika!! p.s: Please repy soon.
kpounder on October 31st, 2007 at 11:56 pm #
Hi Annika Sorry for the lack of detail about particular restaurants. For good, cheap restaurants (including koshary) try the Downtown area in Cairo. Gad and felfela both do good fuul and felafel. Gad’s address is 13, 26th of July Street. There is a Koshary place opposite it. Felfela is at 15 Sharia Hoda Sharaawi. I can’t remember prices except that they were both cheap! Another good spot for restaurants in downtown is a few streets North of the 26th of July. I can’t remember the name of the road, but it is a little square next to a park. Lonely PLanet lists at least one restaurant there, but the Koshary place on the corner next to the park is great. Sorry I can’t give you more details but I ditched my guide book when I left Egypt! Have fun Kate Post a comment
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