recipe-1

Recipe-1 › Curries of the world › Mesa’a’a

Cairo, Egypt

Mesa’a’a (Moussaka masriya)

Egyptian aubergine stew with green peppers, garlic and tomato: the vegetarian cousin of moussaka, cooked on the stove.

Mesa’a’a
Close to the base recipe Mild

New here? How this page works

Recipe-1 is one simple curry recipe in nine steps: fry onions and green chillies, add your vegetables or meat, add chilli powder and turmeric, then water and salt, and boil. With small changes the same nine steps make curries from all over the world.

This page takes those nine steps and shows what to change to make Mesa’a’a. You don’t need to read anything else first: every base step is written out below. The changes are worked out on paper from what is typical for this dish; not yet kitchen-tested. Cooked it? Tell others how it went.

Green: the base recipe step (crossed out = do not use it for this dish)Red: what to do instead for Mesa’a’a

See the full base recipe (with timers and tips) · See all curries on the world map

You’ll need

How many people?4

The amounts change with the number of people; cooking times stay about the same (use a bigger pot for more). Taste as you go: you can always add more chilli or salt, but you cannot take it out.

Main ingredient: 2 Aubergines in thick slices, fried (or roasted).

From the base recipe

  • 1 Onions
  • 1 Green chillies
  • 5 tbsp Cooking oil
  • ½ tsp Red chilli powder
  • Turmeric not used
  • 1 tsp · 100 ml Salt and water
  • Ginger garlic paste not used
  • Cloves, cardamom and cinnamon not used
  • Garam masala (optional) not used

Add for Mesa’a’a

  • 2 Green peppers
  • 3 · 1 tbsp Tomatoes and tomato paste
  • 4 Garlic
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp Vinegar (a splash)

Leave out

  • Turmeric
  • Whole spices
  • Garam masala

The nine steps, with the changes

Where a step has a red line, do the red line and not the crossed-out green base step. Steps with only green are done just as in the base recipe.

  1. Base step: do not useCut onions and chillies.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisSlice the onions and one green chilli.

  2. Base step: do not useFry in some oil for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisFry with garlic until soft.

  3. Base step: do not useCut the vegetable(s) of your choice.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisSlice the aubergines and peppers; fry or roast the aubergines first.

  4. Base step: do not useAdd them and fry for around 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisAdd the peppers, then the tomatoes and tomato paste.

  5. Base step: do not useAdd red chilli powder and turmeric.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisAdd cumin and a little chilli powder instead of turmeric.

  6. Keep frying until just before they start browning.

  7. Base step: do not useAdd some water.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisAdd a little water.

  8. Add salt.

  9. Base step: do not useBoil until the gravy is as thick as you like.

    Mesa’a’a: do thisLay the aubergines in the sauce and simmer 20 minutes. Add a splash of vinegar at the end.

Serve: Warm or cold, with bread.

For meat and seafood, make sure it is cooked through: chicken until no pink remains inside; mutton, goat and beef need long, slow cooking.

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Food marks, as on packaged food in India: vegetarian · non-vegetarian (meat, fish or egg). Dishes with both marks can be made either way.

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