Umm Ali

Use split fava beans for taameya, good tahini for dips, fresh herbs for mahshi and besara, short-grain rice for Egyptian rice dishes, and coarse semolina for basbousa.

Fresh herbs should smell vivid, cumin should be aromatic, onions should be firm and dry, and fish or meat should look clean and fresh. Do not hide tired ingredients under spice.

The biggest mistakes are boiling delicate greens too hard, packing stuffed vegetables too tightly, frying before the oil is hot, under-seasoning beans, or assembling layered dishes too early.

Build flavour in stages: brown onions properly, fry garlic only until fragrant, taste with bread or rice, and finish with lemon, herbs, crisp onions or syrup at the right moment.

It is cooked when the main ingredient is tender, the sauce or rice has the intended texture, and the dish tastes balanced with its normal accompaniment.

Serve generously but neatly: shallow bowls for dips and ful, wide platters for koshari and fattah, warm dishes for rice and meat, and clean squares for syrup desserts.

Prep herbs, sauces, soaked beans, stock and chopped vegetables ahead. Fry taameya, grill kofta, finish molokhia tasha and soak syrup cakes close to serving for best texture.

Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate in sealed containers for up to 2 days for meat and fish dishes, or up to 3 days for beans, rice puddings and syrup cakes. Reheat stews, rice and stuffed vegetables gently with a splash of water or stock until piping hot. Re-crisp fried items in an oven or air fryer rather than the microwave.