Many of the famous and inexpensive local Egyptian dishes that are related to heritage and traditions such as, "ful" beans, "falafel", "mulukhia" leaves of corchorus olitorius" in addition to "kushari" and grilled food. Such dishes attract tourists and they can be found in many Egyptian restaurants at suitable prices.
"Ful" and "Falafel"
Local restaurants offer the two dishes in inexpensive prices in comparison to other classy ones. Some of the most popular restaurants offering "ful" and "falafel" are "Gad", "Shabrawy", "Tab2y" and "Akher Sa3a".
The above mentioned restaurants can be found everywhere in Egypt, you can simply search on Google maps to find the nearest location. The restaurants also can deliver orders to their customers wherever they are.
They offer "ful medames" (cooked fava beans), "falafel", fries and fried eggs. That goes along with smashed white cheese mixed with sliced tomato or "shakshuka" (scrambled eggs with tomato sauce). All these dishes can be eaten with 3eesh balady (pita).
The "ful" carts are the best option to try; you eat your favourite dish while standing. The cart is decorated and on it comic phrases including proverbs from Egyptian culture are written and painted with different colours. The "ful" dish is served with green onions, pickled eggplant, fresh vegetables and arugula. All of that would only cost some 15 L.E.
"Kushari"
It’s one of the Egyptian local dishes. A mix of rice, spaghetti, small macaroni, vermicelli, fried onions, black lentils and hummus, topped with thick tomato sauce, garlic and vinegar sauce, and chilli sauce put together. Only a small bowl of salad can be served with it.
Some of the most popular kushary restaurants are "El-Za3em", "Sayed Hanafy", "El-Tahrir", Tom and Basal" and "Abou Tarek".
Tourists eat usually in "Abou Tarek's" Downtown for its popularity and delicious 'kushari'. At any of "kushari" restaurants you can enjoy the process of filling your bowl. It comes in different sizes which would cost 20 L.E.
Grilled meat and tajins
Ancient Egyptians were the first to come up with grilled meats including: kebab (lamb or veal), kofta (a grilled piece of minced meat) as well as escalope and neffah meat and the stuffed pigeons
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Grilled food is usually served with different salads, roasted vegetables or roasted Freekeh (some kind of green oats).
Most popular places to try grilled mean or chicken are: "Sobhy Kaber" in Shoubra where people can enjoy watching their "mulukhia" being cooked. Other joints are "Al-Dahan" in 5th settlement near Al-Hussein Mosque, "Frahat" and "Abou Shakra".
Tourists can try different kind of food which they can never find anywhere else such as: "kwar3, fried liver, fesha (lungs), tohal & kersha (stomach wall) as well as rice or vegetables stuffed gut.
"Habyeb El-Sayed", "Refa3y" and "Baha" are some of the most popular places which cook these dishes in Sayeda Zeynab district. You can go to "Bebo" if you are near Shoubra Masr.
Translated by Hana Khaled