Ancient Egyptian recipes

One of the magnificent early civilisations that grew from the fertile crescent, and aided by the annual flooding of the Nile, the Egyptian dynastic period lasted over 3000 years.

While they didn’t exactly leave a cookbook, these Ancient Egyptian recipes are based on what they did leave behind, and are based on archaeological remains in tombs and knowledge of ancient cooking techniques. These have been adapted for use in schools and at home

Ingredients (serves 10-20)

• 4 tins chickpeas (drained)
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil if you want to experiment)
• 4 large onions, roughly chopped
• 3 leeks, sliced (strongly recommended for authenticity)
• 3–4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 carrots, chopped (carrots weren’t common in early Egypt, but later varieties existed—optional but acceptable)
• 1 tsp ground cumin (optional, use lightly)
• Small bunch fresh dill or coriander leaf
• 100g chopped dates
• 100g chopped dried apricots
• 1–2 tsp wine vinegar (or a splash of sour grape juice if you want to be purist)
• Salt (they had it, but used sparingly)
• Water

Method

1. Build the base slowly
   Heat oil and cook onions over low heat for 15–20 minutes until soft and lightly coloured. This step is doing most of the flavour work—don’t rush it.
2. Add the alliums
   Stir in leek and garlic. Cook gently until softened.
3. (Optional) spice
   Add a small pinch of cumin. Think background note, not a defining flavour.
4. Simmer the legumes
   Add soaked chickpeas and cover with water. Simmer gently until tender (60–90 mins).
5. Sweet–sour balance
   Stir in dates (or date paste) and a little vinegar toward the end. This reflects a pattern seen across ancient Mediterranean cooking—subtle, not sharp.
6. Finish simply
   Add chopped herbs and a little salt. Let it sit 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients (makes about 20)

300g Emmer Flour

200g Einkhorn Flour

300ml water

Honey

Method

1.Mix the flours in a large bowl.

2.Make a well and pour in the  water

3. Ideally with a large spoon, stir the mixture to bring it together in one large lump.

4. Add more water if needed, the dough should not be dry.

5. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes

6. Using a dough cutter on a lightly floured surface divide the dough into about 20 table-tennis ball sized pieces.

7. Dust each piece with flour before rolling out into a thin circular bread, turning and dusting with flour every 2-3 rolls.

8. Cook the flat bread on the embers or hot pan (as hot as possible). These should take no more than 20 seconds to cook,  Turn the bread using tongs once it starts to bubble and change colour.

9. Enjoy on its own or add honey to sweeten

Ingredients

Serves 20

​2 tbs rapeseed oil

4 red onions sliced or diced

2 red peppers chopped

3 crushed garlic cloves

4 large carrots-thickly chopped

2 large sweet potatoes- chopped into 2cm cubes

2tsp salt

A dash of ground black pepper

4 cans chopped tomatoes

50g Harissa paste

4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp cinnamon

50g chopped dried apricots

50g chopped dates

A handful of fresh parsley

2 lemons juice and zest

2 limes juice and zest

4 tins of chickpeas (drained)

Method

1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until just shimmering. Add onions and increase heat to medium-high. Saute for 5 minutes, tossing regularly.
2. Add garlic and all the chopped vegetables. Season with salt and spices. Toss to combine.
3. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high heat, mixing regularly with a wooden spoon.
4. Add tomatoes, apricot and dates. Add a covering of water. Season again with just a small dash of salt.
5. Keep the heat on medium-high, and cook for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes or until veggies are tender.
6. Stir in chickpeas and cook another 5 minutes on low heat.
7. Stir in lemon and lime juice , zestand fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or harissa paste to your liking.
8. Transfer to serving bowls and serve hot with an emmer flatbread!