Egyptian Short Rib and Okra Stew With Fragrant Rice
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 2 ¼ lbs. of boneless short ribs
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ lb. vine ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small jalapeño, sliced into ⅛ “ rounds
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 lb okra, stems trimmed
- 1 bunch of fresh mint
- Salt
- Pepper
For the rice:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1.5 cups boiling water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- Salt
- Pepper
Zalabia (Doughnuts With Orange Blossom Syrup)
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for deep-frying
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the syrup:
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Egyptian Chicken Sofrito
Ingredients
- 1 organic whole chicken (about 3 lbs), quartered (have the butcher do this for you!)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1/2 cup of Canola oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and very coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
Egyptian Short Rib and Okra Stew With Fragrant Rice
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 2 ¼ lbs. of boneless short ribs
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ lb. vine ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small jalapeño, sliced into ⅛ “ rounds
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 lb okra, stems trimmed
- 1 bunch of fresh mint
- Salt
- Pepper
For the rice:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1.5 cups boiling water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- Salt
- Pepper
Zalabia (Doughnuts With Orange Blossom Syrup)
Ingredients
For the doughnuts:
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for deep-frying
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the syrup:
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Egyptian Chicken Sofrito
Ingredients
- 1 organic whole chicken (about 3 lbs), quartered (have the butcher do this for you!)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1/2 cup of Canola oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and very coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
Read more about Nir Mesika in “An Egyptian Hannukah Tradition Lives on in NYC” and try his recipe for zalabia (doughnuts) with honey and orange blossom syrup.
Nir Mesika, chef-owner of the restaurant Timna in New York City, grew up in a beach town near Haifa called Kiryat Motzkin, right on the Mediterranean coast. The son of a Moroccan mother and an Egyptian father, Nir grew up with rich culinary influences, even though they may at first glance seem at odds with one another. His mother, Yafa, was born in Casablanca to a religious Jewish family, while his father, Jackie Mesika, was the son of a cosmopolitan Egyptian couple from Cairo that loved seafood and didn’t have much regard for kosher laws (the first time Nir tasted lobster was at his Nonna Ruby’s house).
Like many Israeli kids that grew up by the sea, Nir would spend his spare time surfing. But before Nir would embark on a day at the beach, he’d sit down with his family to a big lunch that his mother would make every Saturday. The crowded table always included some form of okra, a common Egyptian ingredient that was a staple in the Masika household. Nir was especially fond of okra in the leftovers of a rich Sabbath stew made with short ribs and served with rice, which his mom had cooked for dinner the night before. Yafa learned the beef and okra stew from her mother-in-law, and continued on the tradition in her family. It may seem counterintuitive to eat stew when it’s warm enough to surf, but Nir recalls it being an excellent source of energy for a day spent in the sun.
