EGYPT-Dinner is Ready! Plus Fun Facts

Falafel or Ta’meya is one of the most famous widely consumed inexpensive, vegan foods in  Egypt. It is estimated that almost 99% of  Egyptians eat falafel every day. It is easy to make and very flavorful. Egyptians usually eat it in breakfast specially on weekends accompanied by fava beans and  Pita Bread. For this recipe you will need:

·         1 cup  yellow fava beans.(You can use chickpeas if you prefer or a mixture of both)

·         10 cloves of garlic.

·         1 big yellow onion.

·         1 cup of fresh parsley.

·         1 cup of fresh cilantro.

·         1 tsp of coriander.

·         salt to taste.

• one egg.

To make the Falafel:

1.   The night before, soak the beans in a bowl overnight. Change the water once or twice if you can. Also, wash the fresh parsley and cilantro and let them dry completely.

2. Drain the beans then put it in the food processor with garlic and onion. It will be coarse at the beginning but it will come to a smooth texture later. Add the parsley and cilantro then pulse the whole mixture  until it is very smooth.

3. Add the coriander, mix well.  Add egg and salt to taste.

4.  Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten, you can dip them in sesame seed. Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).

 

 Falafel recipe courtesy of:  http://arabianmama.com/tag/egyptian-falafel-recipe/

 Fun Facts about Egypt

-The longest river in the world, the Nile, runs through Egypt.

 -Egypt is home the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

It was  built as a burial place for King Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build. It is built from over two million blocks of limestone, each one weighing as much as two and a half elephants. It stands about 460 feet (149 m) high—taller than the Statue of Liberty. The base of the Great Pyramid takes .up almost as much space as five football fields.

- The most popular sport in Egypt is soccer.

 

- Ancient Egyptian women had more rights and privileges than most other women in the ancient world. Women could choose who they wanted to marry,  get a paid job outside the home if they wanted one. They could run a business. They could own, buy, and sell property. They could make a will and leave their personal goods to whomever they chose, including their daughters.  

-The ancient Egyptians worshipped more than 1,000 different gods and goddesses. The most important god of all was Ra, the sun god.

-The ancient Egyptians were the first people to have a year consisting of 365 days divided into 12 months. They also invented clocks.

-The Egyptian polymath Imhotep (“the one who comes in peace”) is known as the first physician, the first engineer, and the first architect.

Source: http://goafrica.about.com/od/egypt/a/egyptfacts.htm