Egyptian bissara, also spelled bessara, is a nutritious fava bean dip made with a whole lot of fresh herbs, giving it its signature green color. Every household has its own preference for how thick they like it, and which combination and ratio of herbs they enjoy the most. Even though it’s a dip, it’s often eaten as a light meal in its own right, with some pita bread. 

Different versions of this dish exist across North Africa, but with slight variations, like the Moroccan version, which is more of a hot fava bean soup that is more spiced and doesn’t include herbs.

It’s velvety and creamy, while being completely vegan. That’s what makes it especially loved during Lent and Advent in Egypt because of the vegan fast that Coptic Egyptians (the community I grew up in) practice during that time. Traditionally, it’s also particularly enjoyed on Good Friday after a long day at mass. In truth, it’s so beloved that it’s eaten all year round, too!

Key Ingredients 

• Dried split fava beans (also known as broad beans), soaked in water and then simmered until soft and tender, are the bissara base. Their neutral, slightly nutty flavor allows the fresh herbs to take center stage. You can cook them from dry without soaking, but I find soaking the dried beans overnight helps cut the cooking time significantly. See below for advice on substituting them! 
• Garlic, onion, and shallot. Cooking the beans with garlic and onion adds flavor to the broth and brings their aromas to the dip. A topping of caramelized shallots adds a bit of visual and textural variation, and just a hint of sweetness. 
• Fresh herbs. Fresh cilantro, parsley, and dill are, what I consider to be, the holy trinity of Middle Eastern herbs. They are used in large volumes to give a fresh, green flavor to the dip. 
• Extra virgin olive oil adds a touch of richness to the bessara and helps to emulsify all the ingredients together into one uniform concoction after blending. 
• Aleppo pepper brings a subtle heat to the dip and also looks pretty as a finishing sprinkle. 

Recipe Variations

This is a family recipe I grew up with, but with slight variations I’ve made in my own cooking. Quite a bit of the recipe can be customized based on your own personal preferences. 

• Use a different bean: Dried fava beans are the original for this dish, but you can make this recipe using any dried white beans. I’ve tried it with both butter beans and white kidney beans, and they worked great. Cannellini beans or great northern beans would also be fine substitutes. I recommend using smallish white beans, as I’ve found them to be softer and creamier. They come out pretty close to split fava beans.
• Play with the ratio of herbs: Some people make bissara with much less dill than parsley and cilantro because it can be quite a dominating flavor. I like to keep an even ratio because I love the flavor of dill in it, but you don’t have to. In fact, if you wish to remove it completely, you can, but add more cilantro and parsley so you have a sufficient amount of herbs to hit the bissara level of herbaceousness.  
• Caramelize onions instead of shallots: Onions also get nicely sweet and caramelized when sauteed, similar to shallots, so feel free to use what you have. You can also add a whole lot more as a topping if you love the flavor and texture, or don’t include at all if you can’t stand caramelized onions. It’s not a strict requirement for Bissara. 
• Add spices. Many people add spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, or paprika to their bissara. I like to keep the flavor pretty mild for ease and so that the fresh herbs can really shine, while some love adding complexity with earthy spices. It’s totally up to you! 

Perfect Pairings

Bissara can be served warm or cold, as a starter or a light meal, and it is usually eaten with some traditional Egyptian flatbreads.

• These easy homemade pita breads would work perfectly. 
• Take it up a notch and use this homemade ciabatta garlic bread as the bread to dip with for extra indulgence 
• Serve alongside some muhamarra (roasted red pepper dip) and pumpkin hummus for a colorful vegan dip platter.  

How to Cook Red Snapper 

Fried red snapper is relatively easy to make, but there are a few tricks I’ve learned to get the best results. One involves a slotted fish spatula! Here’s how I make it. 

• Make the spice rub. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, sweet Spanish paprika, Aleppo pepper, and garlic powder. Place 1/2 cup all-purpose or chickpea flour on a small plate. Cut a lemon into wedges. 
• Season and dredge the snapper. Pat 1 1/2 pounds skin-on red snapper fillets (or any thin white fish fillets), dry with a paper towel, then season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the flesh with the spice mixture, then dredge the fish in the flour on both sides, gently shaking to remove the excess.
• Sear skin-side down. In a large nonstick pan set over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the fish fillets skin-side down. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on medium-high, while gently pressing down the fillets with a slotted fish spatula (this will help prevent curling). Lower the heat to medium and allow the fish to cook for another 3 minutes or so, until the skin turns crispy and golden brown. 
• Flip and cook. Turn the fish over to the flesh side and let it finish cooking, 45 to 90 seconds, depending on thickness. Your fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork.
• Finish and serve. Transfer the fish to a serving platter and squeeze a lemon wedge or two all over. Serve immediately with the rest of the lemon wedges on the side.

The Port Said way of making use of less prestigious small shrimp is to grind them up with a tantalizing mixture of fresh herbs and spices and fry spoonfuls quickly, turning them into fluffy morsels of shrimp kofta. 

This recipe has long been a family favorite, one that I shared in my first cookbook. I knew I had to share it with you here, because I once made these shrimp fritters for a dinner party, and they never made it to the table! We finished them while standing around the kitchen island. My friend Molly took one bite and declared them even fluffier than hush puppies, which I assure you is a very strong sentiment from a Southerner!

I love serving these kofta as part of a mezze spread or as a fun seafood appetizer. They’re best hot out of the pan, finished with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of Tahini Sauce or or cool, creamy Tzatziki Sauce. Just be warned that once you try them, it’s hard to stop!

Egyptian Shrimp Fritter Ingredients

• Onion: I use a yellow onion, but any color will work! 
• Fresh herbs like parsley bring freshness, and dill adds a bright, slightly sweet flavor. 
• Garlic gives the fritters their characteristic savory flavor. 
• Shrimp: Since you’ll be grinding up the shrimp in the food processor, use smaller, less pricey shrimp for this recipe. This is a case where it’s fine to start with peeled and deveined raw shrimp.
  • READ MORE: Guide to Buying and Cooking Shrimp
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are essential for seasoning the shrimp mixture.
• Spices like ground coriander add a subtle citrusy warmth. Ground cumin is earthy and aromatic, and paprika adds sweetness. 
• Aleppo pepper flakes: Mild and slightly fruity, these flakes add gentle heat and rosy color.
  • READ MORE: What Is Aleppo Pepper and How to Use It
  • TRY IT: Aleppo-style pepper 
• Chickpea flour helps bind the mixture. You can find it in the baking aisle at most grocery stores. If you don’t have it (and aren’t concerned about keeping the recipe gluten-free), all-purpose flour works, too.
• Egg: Another binder that helps hold the kofta together while adding fluffiness.
• Grapeseed oil: Though I often pan-fry using olive oil, this is an instance where I prefer to use grapeseed, avocado, or another neutral-tasting oil for frying the fritters.
• Lemon: A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything and balances the richness of the fried kofta. For me, it’s a must. 

How to Make Shrimp Fritters

Honestly, the food processor does most of the work on this one! Once you’ve blitzed everything up, all that’s left is the step of frying. I’ll walk you through it: 

• Chop the aromatics. Peel and quarter 1 small yellow onion. In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with the multipurpose blade, combine the onion, 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, 1/4 cup fresh dill fronds, and 4 peeled garlic cloves. Pulse a few times until the onion is finely chopped.
• Make the shrimp kofta mixture. Add 1 pound small peeled and deveined shrimp and about 3/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper, along with 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Place the lid on the processor and pulse again, until the mixture is well combined and the shrimp has the texture of a wet meatball mixture.
• Mix in the flour and egg. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon chickpea flour and 1 large egg and mix with a wooden spoon until well incorporated.
• Fry the shrimp kofta. Line a large plate with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat 1 cup grapeseed oil (or another neutral-tasting oil) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Carefully spoon portions of the shrimp mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) into the oil. Do not crowd the pan; do this in batches if you need to. You should have about 16 koftas. Fry the kofta on one side until golden brown, then turn over to cook until the other side is also golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer the kofta to the paper towel–lined plate as they finish cooking.
• Finish and serve. Place the kofta on a serving platter and serve hot or warm with lemon wedges and your choice of sauce for drizzling or dipping.