Sahlab - Egyptian Spiced Drink

Ingredients

1 glass of milk
teaspoon sahlab
sugar to taste
pinch of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon mixed nuts


Directions
Stir the sahlab into 1 tablespoon of cold milk. Boil the remaining milk, then pour over sahlab and stir well. Return to flame, add sugar, and boil for about 2 minutes. Serve very hot, sprinkling top of individual cups with cinnamon powder and mixed nuts.
This can also be prepared with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water.
Sahlab is a pre-packaged spice drink, sold in powder form in all spice shops and some supermarkets. It is a warming winter drink.

Bileela - Whole Wheat Grain

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat grain
milk
sugar to taste



Directions
Boil whole wheat grain until tender, about 60 minutes. Drain and serve in individual bowls covered with hot milk. Sweeten to taste.

Yansun - Aniseed

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon aniseed
sugar to taste



Directions

Boil water with anissed for 1-2 minutes, until water absorbs fragrance. Strain, sweeten to taste, and serve

Erfeh (Hot Spicy Cup)

Erfeh Cup is traditionally served to visitors who come to see a new baby.


4 c. water
1 T. whole anise seeds
2 pieces ginger root, bruised
2 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 tsp. sugar, or more
4 walnuts or almonds

Boil spices in water until it is dark colored. Put sugar and one nut in each cup. Serves 4

'Tamr Hindi' - Tamarind

Ingredients

1. 'Tamr Hindi' - Tamarind (available in spice shops, both dried and as a paste. both are prepared the same way, but the paste requires extra filtering.)
2. Sugar to taste

Procedure
1. Soak tamarind in cold water for 2-3 hours.
2. Transfer, with its water to a pot and bring to a boil.
3. Remove pot from flame immediately and strain liquid through filter paper or cheesecloth.
4. Replace dregs in pot with fresh cold water to cover and boil, again filtering.
5. Repeat until the tamarind loses its brown color.
6. Discard dregs.
7. Add sugar to sweeten to taste while it is still hot.
Tamarind is an ideal drink on a hot summer day. This Traditional drink in known for its naturally cooling effect.

Koshaf - Egyptian Dried Fruit Compote

This is a modern recipe

Makes over 3 gallons
10 lb. dried apricots
5 lb. prunes
2.5 lb. raisins
3 lb. halved almonds
1.5 lb. pistachio nuts or pine nuts (we used pine nuts)
water as needed
2 cups granulated white sugar, or to taste
3/4 cup rose water
3/4 cup orange blossom water


Put dried fruits in a large container.
Mix in nuts
Cover with water.
Stir in sugar.
Add rose water and orange blossom water and stir.
Let the fruits soak for at least 48 hours.
Check every so often, add more water, as needed during the first 36 hours, and stir.

'Amar al-din' - Apricot Juice

Ingredients

1. Pressed apricot sheets (are sold in cellophane wrapped packages).
2. Sugar to taste

Procedure

1. Cut up the apricot sheets into narrow strips.
2. Add water to cover.
3. Soak until apricot dissolves.
4. Strain through very fine sieve or filter.
5. Add sugar to sweeten to taste.

'Karkadeeh' - Hibiscus Drink

'Karkadeeh' is a dried Hibiscus petals pre-packaged, are available in most supermarkets, international grocery stores, middle eastern grocery stores and indian grocery stores. To make 10 - 12 glasses, use

1. 1 cup hibiscus petals
2. 2 cups sugar
Procedure
1. Soke hibiscus petals in cold water for 1 - 2 hours.
2. Transfer, with its water, to pot and bring to a boil.
3. Remove pot immediately and strain liquid through a very fine sieve or filter paper.
4. Return petals to the pot, add fresh cold water to cover, and bring to a boil, again filtering the juice.
5. Repeat until karkadeeh loses its reddish hue.
6. Discard petals and sweeten while juice is still hot.
Traditionally, karkadeeh is served ice-cold, but it is also pleasant when served hot in winter.

Ir' sus' - Licorice Juice

Ingredients

1. Three tablespoons l Licorice powder (makes 12 glasses).


Procedure
1. Place licorice powder in deep bowl and cover with cold water.
2. With a spoon, rub licorice in the water until it forms a thick paste.
3. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes.
4. Place in cheesecloth bag and hang in jug filled with water (12 glasses).
5. Leave in refrigerator until needed.
6. Pull out bag, squeeze gently in jug, then discard bag.
7. The serve, raise jug about six inches over the glass and pour the juice. This allows plenty of bubbles to form on top - a very important feature in licorice juice. If you like it sweet, suspend the cheesecloth bag in sweetened water.