Hawawshi
Egypt has always been a country I wanted to visit ever since childhood. Years ago, I made a schedule and itinerary for a 4 week trip to Egypt including another two weeks in Jordan. With tons of books, maps, culture, information, sites and so on, I’m ready to go! This is a dream I’ve been looking forward to all my life and I know one day, I’ll be there exploring this captivating part of the globe.
When I was thirteen, my parents split up and my father moved to the downtown core of Montréal in one of those high rise buildings. He became friends with Ahmed, a gentleman from Egypt. The first time I met him, I was so thrilled… I was able to ask him all the questions I wanted about his country. He was better than any book providing me with more of his insights. Of course, we became very good friends!
Besides being bombarded with all my questions, he also let me taste their foods including Baba Ghanoush, Falafel with Creamy Tahini Sauce, Kushari, Couscous, Ful Medames, Hummus, Kofta, and many more. Another dish he introduced me to was Hawawshi! Apparently it was the newest street food in Cairo that became very popular across Egypt.
What is Hawawshi, you ask? It’s a sandwich that is amplified with tons of flavor! It’s a ground beef mixture with onions, peppers and garlic seasoned perfectly with aromatic spices and then stuffed into pita or baladi bread. From there, they are baked in the oven.
My version is slightly different from the traditional one. Instead of stuffing my bread with raw ingredients, I quickly sauté my vegetables for 1 minute and then add garlic which is sautéed for only 30 seconds. To this, I add ground beef that I break into small pieces before adding tomato paste. Again I barely cook everything, maybe 2 minutes at the most because the Hawawshi will finish cooking in the oven. I transfer the filling to a bowl, add a gorgeous spice mix to it, season with salt and pepper plus parsley and then, stuff the pita bread with it trying to leave any accumulated liquid behind so the bread doesn’t get soggy. I then transfer them to the oven and bake for 14 to 15 minutes. By sautéing my ingredients ahead of time, I give a quick jump start to the dish.
When it comes to opening pita bread, I like to place them in the microwave for about 10 seconds so they puff up a little which helps to separate them. Unfortunately, it’s almost the luck of the draw because half might open easily while the other half can tear. It seems like some have a mind of their own. Just be patient and try to open them slowly with a sharp knife… that’s all I can say.
Hawawshi is an amazing easy dish to make! It’s a delicious way to try something different than our regular North American sandwiches. Served warmed, I like to pair it with my Creamy Tahini Sauce. It’s a tasty Egyptian meal to enjoy anytime!
Bon Appétit!
Alf shukr Ahmed for patiently sharing your beautiful culture with me and also giving me the opportunity to taste incredible dishes from your country… it’s so sad we’ve lost contact.
Here are several more African inspired recipes for you to enjoy…
– Ethiopian Red Pepper Sauce
– African Lamb Tagine
– Moroccan Couscous Salad
– North African Chicken Thighs with Dates & Pomegranate Molasses
– Kenyan Irio coming on July 28th, 2022
– North African Merguez
and for even more sandwich recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Sandwiches
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Hawawshi
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Ingredients
SPICE MIX
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. hot paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
SANDWICH
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1 cup white onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 1/2 lbs. (750 g) lean ground beef
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped tips & tricks
- 3 large pita bread (substitute baladi bread)
- 1 tbsp. clarified butter, or as needed
Directions
SPICE MIX
- To make the spice mix; in a small bowl, add cumin, coriander, allspice, hot paprika, cardamom, ground cloves and ground cinnamon; whisk well and set aside.
SANDWICH
- Preheat oven (see footnote) to 400ºF/200ºC
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and when it gets hot, add onions, red peppers and jalapeño peppers; sauté for 1 minute. Add pressed garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add ground beef and break the meat down into small pieces. Add tomato paste, incorporate it into the mixture and cook the ingredients no longer than 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the meat mixture into a large bowl. Add the spice mix and season with ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as well as chopped parsley; stir everything together.
- Scoop up the mixture and fill each pita pocket, leaving any liquid behind so the bread doesn’t get soggy. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper before lightly brushing on some clarified butter on top.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 14 minutes. Halfway through cooking, carefully flip them over, return them to the oven and bake for the remaining time. When it’s done, serve them immediately with my Creamy Tahini Sauce.
Notes
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