The yellowish-white paste dish, Kishk, originates from Upper Egypt, yet its savory taste appeals to many Egyptians who try to prepare it at home as a side item or a main course plate. Kishk’s recipe varies regionally whereby southern governorates impose their signatures. 

Afaf Samir, a housewife from Minya, said that Kishk is mainly made of yield grains and the way to prepare it before cooking takes from 9 to 10 days. “We bring 1 kg of wheat or more and put it on a fire in a container full of water and leave it until it becomes soft, then we take it and put it in the sun for a whole day until it dries."

Wheat is then ground and sifted, Samir continued. The rough particles are, then, taken while the soft ones fall. This step is followed by preparing milk rabe and immersing the rough particles in it. This is then left for one day to ensure that the milk rabe has saturated the mixture.

Samir added that after one day, the mixture is cut into small pieces, each being shaped like a little rounded ball. The balls get exposed to the sunlight for one week before kishk becomes ready for cooking. Each meal requires at least ¼ kg of kishk alongside other ingredients. 

Minya’s Recipe

1 - In a bowl of boiling water, boil the duck with circularly chopped onions and celery carrots in a round section

2. Add garlic, grains, and Laura, and then remove from the boiling water

3. Mix salt, pepper, oil, and tomatoes, then grease the duck with the mixture, and enter the oven until all ingredients ripen

4- Melt the Upper Kishk Balls in boiling water

5. Fry the onions with salt, pepper, and flour in the oil

6- Grind the Kishk a little, then add cream and yogurt to it

7- The mixture is then stirred over the flame until it is thick

8- Serve with a butter cube on the surface and reddish onions with ducks

Jackline Wahib, a housewife and Cairo resident, said that Kishk is a special dish in Cairo, as well, where there are many ways to cook it. “I prefer the traditional way where the savory pudding is cooked alongside chopped chicken pieces.

Cairo’s Recipe:

1- Put a pan on the flame, add oil and fry the onions until their color becomes golden

2. In another pot on the fire, add oil and flour and grill until its color changes. Then, add the milk gradually, stirring until the texture is firm

4. Add chopped chicken pieces, salt, and black pepper until they boil

5. Rice is boiled in water until fully cooked and, then, added to the flour mixture 

6. Leave on flame a little before serving on plates

7. Decorate plates with reddish onions 

Mariam Youssef, a housewife from Dakahlia, said that the way in which Kishk is cooked in Cairo and Upper is different from the way of cooking in Dakahlia. The Cairo Kishk is cooked with rice and pieces of chicken. “We cook the kishk dish without any meat or chicken and without even adding milk."

Youssef added that they consider Kishk an occasional meal that is cooked once annually on Ayoub's Wednesday which precedes Easter Sunday. This way, it is cooked with water, rice, and flour only.

Dakahlia’s Recipe:

1- onions are fried in a pan filled with oil until their color becomes golden yellow

2. In another pot over the flame, put the oil with water, add half a cup of rice to it, and leave them until they boil

3. Mix 2 tbsp of flour with a glass of water, and stir until the mixture becomes coherent

4. Add the mixture of flour with water to the rice and stir, until it thickens well and dissolves the grains of rice

5. Leave on fire a little and serve on plates