May 25 2009
Egyptian Soup Cures for General Health Problems
Soup is one of the oldest foods on earth. Across the world, soups have are used to cure or nourish people suffering from various ailments. Egypt is no exception, and the various soups listed here have been prepared with loving care by Egyptian mothers and wives for thousands of years.
*Soups Reputed to be Aphrodisiacs - It is customary to feed these soups to a bridegroom for the entire week prior to the nuptials!
- Pigeon Soup is prepared the same way as a basic chicken soup. This recipe will feed two: 3 onions, salt and pepper, mastic and cardamom seeds, 1/2 cup of hulled wheat as well as two pigeons. Put the bird and whole onions together, in boiling water. Tie the seeds into a muslin bag. Lower the heat and allow the birds to cook until the meat is tender. Once you’ve removed the pigeons along with the muslin bag, mix the hulled grain into the soup and boil for an additional ten minutes. Before you add the boiled pigeons to the broth, all skin and bones need to be removed.
- If one is making a soup made from the shanks of lamb, beef or camel, the parts need to be boiled long enough in water so that they are soft and the meat easily falls off the bone. The shanks can be removed from the pot, pull off the meat and put it in a bowl to keep it from getting cold. Place 1/2 cup of the shank broth off to the side and allow it to cool off. Boil the rest of the broth. Allow butter or ghee to melt in a different kettle, then mix in flour and keep stirring until it’s mixed well and is golden in appearance. Lightly beat the two egg yolks with a fork. Now add the egg to the flour and butter, stirring constantly, add the cup of cool shank broth. When making this stew return the flame to low and slowly add the remaining hot broth stirring the whole time. it is beneficial to add the broth after the meat boils. Keep from boiling. Combine lemon juice to suit your preference and salt and pepper to taste. Lamb and Beef can be costly. Camel shanks are used by those on a budget, and they take more cooking time.
* A simple recipe that will aid an upset tummy or runny stools is to boil water, salt and onions together to make a simple onion and water broth. Vegetables such as onions have amazing properties to sterilize bacteria and saline or salt derivatives prevents dehydration. If the soup is intended for a baby, the cooked onion is removed and the baby can drink it out of a baby bottle.
- Often lemon soup with boiled rice is used as a cure for diarrhea. Shake in some salt when cup of rice is boiling in 1 cups of water. You will need to add the juice of two or three lemons after you remove it from the heat. The salt keeps you hydrated if you are suffering from diarrhea and the rice is an easy to digest complex noncarbohydrate food and the lemon is a disinfectant and can kill some of the bacteria at the root of the problem.
* For regaining strength after a bout of serious illness:
* Some nutritional soups that are served to people in need of solid food after recouping from an illness are Egyptian Bean, Vegetable and Lemon Soup. Using a small amount of olive oil, chop 1/2 onion and sautee it in the oil. Add a teaspoon of crushed cumin seeds, a bay leaf or two, a large chopped carrot and cook on medium heat until the onion is golden. Add a cup of pre-soaked dried and skinned broad fava beans, chopped fresh tomatoes and 1 liters of boiled water, reduce heat and simmer until both the carrots and the beans are cooked. Salt and pepper should be added according to your preferences. When it is done turn off the heat and add the juice of two or three lemons, and serve. If the person is too weak to chew, the soup may be pureed.
Keep in mind that lemons from Egypt are far tinier than the bigger European and American fruits.