Make like an Egyptian! North African cuisine is the comfort food you never knew you needed - try these easy, spicy recipes this weekend

Minced Meat Pitta PocketsHawawshi, the hugely popular street food, combines meat, onions, peppers and spices that are then grilled or baked in baladi flatbreads. You can serve these meat pockets with pickled vegetables and tahini sauce.SERVES 4 (makes 8 pockets)2 medium onions1 red pepper, deseeded3 garlic cloves, minced1 red or green chilli, finely chopped1 tsp ground allspice½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg½ tsp ground cumin½ tsp ground coriander½ tsp ground cinnamon¼ tsp chilli powder500g minced beefsea salt and ground black pepper4 loaves baladi bread, halved (or any flatbreads)2-3 tbsp olive oil1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.2 Finely chop the onions and red pepper, tip into a large mixing bowl and add the garlic, chilli and spices. Add the minced beef, mix to combine and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.3 Divide the meat mixture into eight equal portions. Open up each piece of flatbread and fill the pocket with the meat mixture, spreading it out evenly.4 Brush both sides of each flatbread with olive oil, then wrap each pocket in parchment paper. Place the eight parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the bread is golden brown.Shakshuka with Feta and Mint Marsa Matruh, on the northwestern coast of Egypt, shares deep culinary and cultural ties with its western neighbour, Libya, where Bedouins once roamed freely across borders. One dish connecting these regions is shakshuka, a favourite in North Africa. This version uses Marsa Matruh’s exquisite mint and pairs it with feta cheese; harissa adds a Berber touch.SERVES 3-43 tbsp olive oil1 yellow onion, diced1 garlic clove, minced6 spring onions, choppedbunch of fresh mint, choppedsea salt and ground black pepper60g feta8 eggsFor the green harissa (see tip)150ml olive oil500g green chillieshandful of fresh parsleyhandful of fresh coriander2 tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegarTo serve1 tbsp green harissa (see above or use shop-bought instead)handful of fresh parsley, chopped1 Pour the oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Mix in the spring onions and continue to cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the mint and season with salt and pepper (keep in mind the feta is salty). Cook for 1 more minute. Cut the feta into cubes and place on top of the onions. Gently stir to cook the feta for 2-3 minutes.2 Create wells in the onion mixture and crack the eggs into them. Season, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.3 Meanwhile, blitz all the ingredients for the green harissa in a blender until smooth.4 To serve, drizzle a spoon of green harissa on top of the shakshuka and add a sprinkle of fresh parsley.Tip Store leftover harissa in a jar, topped with a little olive oil, and keep for up to a week to liven up other dishes.Lentil Pumpkin Soup Pumpkins are a star crop in Siwa, in Egypt’s Western Desert, and appear in a variety of wonderful dishes. This simple pumpkin and lentil soup pays homage to Siwa’s vegan heritage. Lentils are a great source of protein in the oasis, often appearing in stews with dark leafy greens.SERVES 4-6500g red lentils50ml olive oil3 yellow onions, diced3 garlic cloves, minced2 yellow or red peppers, diced500g pumpkin, peeled and cubed1 tsp baharat spice mix (available from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s)¼ tsp paprikasea salt and ground black pepper500g tomatoes, peeled and diced1 litre vegetable stock1 Soak the lentils in water for half an hour, then drain.2 Over a medium-high heat, boil the lentils in salted water for 30 minutes until tender, then drain.3 In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat and sauté the onions and garlic until they are golden and fragrant. Add the peppers and stir for a few minutes until softened. Add the pumpkin and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the baharat spice mix and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, cooked lentils and vegetable stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender, giving it the occasional stir.4 Purée the soup until smooth using a hand blender. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.Alexandrian Fava Mash Egypt’s national dish, ful, may have existed as far back as Pharaonic times. The centuries-old technique of simmering the beans overnight in qidras (wide-bottomed copper cooking pots) still goes on today. Alexandria’s version of ful packs tons of flavour, thanks to the generous use of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices. SERVES 42 tbsp olive oil1 yellow onion, diced2 garlic cloves, minced2 tomatoes, diced500g cooked or canned fava beans1 tsp ground cuminsea salthot baladi bread, to serve (see tip)For the topping1 green pepper, deseeded and diced1 red chilli pepper, deseeded and chopped1 red onion, diced3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to servejuice of 2 small lemons, plus extra to serve1 In a medium-sized pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes. Mix in the fava beans including the liquid (if using canned beans) and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the cumin and salt to taste. Press down on the beans with the back of a fork to mash them and blend the flavours. Remove from the heat.2 For the topping, combine the green pepper, chilli pepper, red onion, chopped parsley, olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir well to combine.3 Transfer the beans to a deep plate and make a dip in the middle. Pour the topping mixture into the dip and finish with a swig of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with hot baladi bread on the side.Tip Baladi, sometimes known as Egyptian pitta, is a traditional pocketed flatbread made from wholewheat flour. It is available to buy at oasismarket.co.uk.Prawn kofta in a spicy tomato sauce Minced prawn made into kofta (meatballs) and served in a rich tomato sauce is a popular native meal on the coastline between Port Said and Damietta. It combines a traditional Egyptian stew base with Mediterranean seafood flavours.SERVES 4 (makes 24)For the kofta500g small prawns, peeled and cleaned½ white onion, choppedlarge handful of fresh parsley, plus extra for garnishlarge handful of fresh dilllarge handful of fresh coriander1 tsp dried mint, ground2 garlic clovesground cumin, to taste1 tsp rice flour (if needed)sea salt and ground black pepperFor the sauce2 tbsp olive oil4 garlic cloves, minced1 onion, diced1 tsp chilli paste or harissa1.5 litres passata or grated tomatoesTo servecooked ricechopped fresh dill, to garnish1 Place all the ingredients for the kofta, except the rice flour, in a food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture sticks together and is almost smooth. Stir in the rice flour if you feel that the prawn mixture is not holding together. With wet hands, form 24 golf-ball-sized kofta. Set aside in the fridge until the tomato sauce is ready.2 For the sauce, heat the oil in a medium pan. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion until golden. Add the chilli or harissa, if using, then lower the heat to low-medium and add the passata. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, gently place the prawn kofta into the simmering sauce and let them cook, covered, for around 15 minutes. As the kofta cook through, they become opaque and lighter in colour.3 To serve, place about six pieces of kofta on rice on each plate and top with a ladle of sauce. Garnish with the chopped fresh dill.Cumin Braised Beef with Red RiceIn this hearty kamuneya, the star spice is Egypt’s most essential seasoning: cumin. Cultivated in Egypt since ancient times, cumin’s warm, earthy aroma and slightly nutty bitterness enrich the flavour of meat. Beyond its taste, cumin is known to aid digestion and soothe the stomach, hence its generous addition to beans and pulses. Beef is king in the Nile Valley, and this cumin-braised beef pairs beautifully with red rice.SERVES 450g butter2 yellow onions, finely chopped4 garlic cloves, minced1.2kg beef chuck, cubed1 tbsp ground cumin½ tsp ground turmeric¼ tsp ground cinnamonSea salt and ground black pepperFor the red rice1 tbsp butter3 garlic cloves, minced2 tbsp tomato purée½ tsp paprika1 tsp ground coriander½ tsp red chilli powder or cayenne570ml boiling water430g Egyptian or short grain rice1 Melt the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the beef cubes and cook, turning regularly, until browned on all sides. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and about 300-400ml water. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer on low–medium heat for 3½-4 hours, stirring every hour and adding more water if the liquid reduces too much. After this time, the meat should be tender and the sauce rich and flavourful.2 Meanwhile, prepare the red rice. In a lidded pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato purée, paprika, ground coriander and chilli (or cayenne pepper), season with salt and pepper, and cook the mixture briefly. Pour in 570ml boiling water, then stir until the tomato mixture is fully dissolved. Add the rice, bring everything to a boil over high heat for 1-2 minutes, then reduce to medium-low. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel and add a lid firmly on top. Let cook for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.3 Serve the beef with the red rice.Date and Sesame Filled Cookies (Kahk)Muslims come together to make kahk for Eid El Fitr and Copts do the same at Christmas. These crumbly, buttery textured cookies are cultural gems, uniting Egyptians of different backgrounds and faiths. Some suggest that kahk dates to Ancient Egypt; there are drawings of people making round snacks on temple walls, embossing each one with the Sun God Aton. Today, Egyptians bake together, shaping and imprinting the cookies with charming heirloom moulds of floral and geometric designs.MAKES 16 cookies300g plain flour50g icing sugar2 tbsp sesame seeds½ tsp salt200g clarified butter or ghee, melted1 tsp fast action dried yeast25ml lukewarm waterIcing sugar, for dustingFor the date and sesame filling120g pitted medjool dates25g unsalted butter3 tbsp sesame seeds1 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour, sugar, sesame seeds and salt. Add the butter and mix at medium speed just until incorporated.2 In a small bowl mix the yeast with the water and gradually add to the dough, mixing continuously for 1-2 minutes until the dough holds together. Shape into a ball, cover and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.3 To prepare the filling, finely chop the dates. Melt the butter in a small pan over a low–medium heat. Add the chopped dates and sesame seeds, stir to combine and cook for a few minutes over a low-medium heat until you have a paste that you can mould into balls. Leave to cool, then shape into 16 small balls.4 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.5 To form the kahk, divide the rested dough into 16 portions and roll into balls. In your hands, flatten each ball into a concave disc, add a ball of date sesame filling into the middle of the disc, then wrap the disc to completely close the dough around the filling. Arrange the balls on the lined baking sheet, seam side down and with space in between each cookie and imprint a design on the top if desired, using either a mould or the tines of a fork.6 Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden.NOW BUY THE BOOKOur recipes are from Egypt: Recipes And Stories From An Ancient Land by Suzanne Zeidy and Rawah Badrawi, with photographs by Jonathan Gregson (Nourish, £30). To order a copy for £25.50 until 8 November with free delivery, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.