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A Feast to be Savoured

Nour El Nil serves the most authentic Egyptian cuisine, made from fresh local ingredients.

By Compelling Story

October 2^nd, 2023

Gliding up the Nile, you will be treated to a menu of authentic Egyptian cuisine, including fresh ingredients sourced daily from local farmers and fishermen along the river. From freshly-caught Nile perch, to the delicious hand-made felafel, each meal is a feast to be savoured.

Day One: A Nile Special

After exploring a local temple and settling into your cabin, your first meal on board is lunch. You may be treated to lightly battered and pan-fried perch, purchased from local fishermen, and served with fresh tartar sauce. Accompaniments might include sauteed carrots with herbs, tahini, a fresh vegetable salad with piquant, marinated olives, and French fries. Like many of the noon and evening meals, you may be offered warm “aish baladi”, an Egyptian flat bread. Your dessert may be a beautiful platter of sliced fruits and dates, found along the shores of the Nile.

Battered and fried Nile Perch, purchased from local fishermen, and served with Tartar Sauce.

To finish an afternoon of sailing and walking to a local village and perhaps indulging in a swim, you will be welcomed to the dinner table by the fragrant and silky cream of zucchini soup with watercress. Followed by tender and aromatic grilled chicken, served with mashed potatoes baked with cheese, you realize you have worked up an appetite.

Side dishes may include steamed cauliflower, okra in tomato sauce, fresh green salad and freshly baked breads. You’ll be glad you’ve saved room for a special Egyptian pastry called “kanafeh”, spun wheat, yogurt and honey pastry drizzled with chocolate.

Cream of zucchini soup with watercress is followed by tender and aromatic grilled chicken, served with mashed potatoes baked with cheese.

Day Two: Rise and Shine

Breakfasts each morning are always something to look forward to. Fresh squeezed orange juice, eggs cooked to order, toast with homemade jams, crepes topped with golden local honey, and a cheese and fresh vegetable plate. There is always plenty of hot tea and French press coffee to enjoy as well.

By mid-morning and a tea or juice break from the day’s activities, you may begin to catch aromas from the galley and wonder what will be served for lunch. You are not disappointed as a lamb tajine with aubergine is served with a colorful lentil salad.

Lamb tajine with aubergine, served with a colorful lentil salad.

Side dishes might include “samboussas”, or Egyptian lamb samosas, served with a fresh tomato, corn, and cucumber salad. French fries, rice pilaf, and freshly baked breads round out the meal. Thanks to local farmers, another dessert plate of fresh fruit completes the meal.

Mid-afternoon snacks of fruit, “karkadeh”, or hibiscus tea, and fresh fruit juices help you wait until dinner is served.

Fragrant pasta soup with carrots opens the meal. The main course of tender beef, braised with tomato and onions, served with aubergine crepes and steamed zucchini with herbs, follows. Sides include steamed rice, more fresh bread, and “moluheya”, an Egyptian condiment of pureed greens and garlic. Tonight’s dessert is a yummy “basboussa”, Egyptian cake with peanuts and fresh strawberries.

Braised Beef with tomatoes and onion, and sides of steamed zucchini, and aubergine crepes. Served with Moluheya, an Egyptian condiment of pureed spinach and garlic.

Day Three: Culinary Delights

Traditional kofta, or little meatloaves, well seasoned and perfectly grilled, are served for lunch. These are accompanied by fresh vegetable salad with aubergine, ratatouille with grilled zucchini, rice pilaf and French fries.

Condiments include freshly made tahini and “toum”, a yogurt and garlic sauce. Another selection of fresh fruit completes the meal.

The evening meal features roast duck, marinated in garlic, coriander, and tomato. Side dishes include green beans with sweet peppers, onions and cumin and lightly battered fried cauliflower, potatoes with carrots and grilled peppers, and pasta with cream, tomato and onions. A salad of fresh greens and fresh breads add just the right touch. And you have another chance to enjoy kanafeh for dessert.

Traditional kofta, or little meatloaves, perfectly seasoned and grilled, are served for lunch.

Day Four: A Surprise Treat

By lunch, you wonder how the food could get any better and are delighted to discover it is served in the traditional Egyptian way, on a large round tray surrounded by cushions to sit on. Fresh pita bread serves as the means to scoop up typical Mediterranean fare, such as, baba ghanoush, hummus, tahini, sesame spread, falafel, and “foul Mudammas”, Egyptian fava beans.

Other accompaniments include aubergine stuffed with vegetables, “koshary”, Egyptian rice with a traditional tomato sauce, potatoes and boiled eggs, Greek salad with kalamata olives, Egyptian feta spread with fresh herbs, tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil. A fresh fruit tray is the perfect dessert.

Gambas al ajillo, fresh Egyptian crayfish in garlic broth provide a wonderful seafood treat.

Following an afternoon snack of guava and melon sorbets, dinner begins with a perfectly seasoned vegetable soup served with fresh breads. Lamb samboussas and “fassoulia”, Egyptian white beans echo the lunch spread, while rice, Cole slaw, and steamed peas with sweet peppers and onion complete the meal.

If you are fortunate to have a fellow passenger celebrating a milestone birthday, you might enjoy a special treat of a homemade birthday cake.

Koshary (Egyptian rice with a traditional sauce), potatoes and boiled eggs, Greek salad with kalamata olives, Egyptian feta spread with fresh herbs, tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil. Sides include baba ghanoush and hummus.

Fresh pita bread serves as the means to scoop up typical Mediterranean fare, such as, baba ghanoush and hummus.

Other accompaniments include these colorful stuffed vegetable aubergines.

Day Five: Fresh Catch!

Lunch begins with lentil soup seasoned with cumin and garnished with fresh mint, grown along the shore. Pan-seared tilapia, fresh caught from the Nile and gambas al ajillo, made with fresh Egyptian crayfish in rich garlic broth provide a wonderful seafood main dish.

Rice, French fries, and freshly made potato chips, or crips abound. Tahini with aubergine balances the meal. Kanafeh of fresh fruit make another very welcome and tasty appearance for dessert.

Pan-seared tilapia, fresh caught from the Nile.

The aromas of dinner suggest a charcoal grill is the means of cooking the meal. Tender chicken shish tawook, or Mediterranean style marinated chicken, onions, and peppers on skewers arrive at the table with just the right amount of char. Fresh breads, rice, roasted potatoes, and arugula salad accompany the meal. Fresh fruit follows as dessert.

Grilled Shish Tawook, is always a favorite with marinated chicken, onions and peppers on skewers.

“Gliding up the Nile on one of Nour El Nil’s dahabiyas is undeniabley majestic...”

Condé Nast Traveller | 2015

Egyptian koshary is served on a traditional low table with sides of potatoes and boiled eggs, Greek salad, hummus, tahini, falafel, and foul Mudammas.

Footnotes

Nour el Nil provides an experience which is luxurious and makes every effort to cater to individual dietary needs and requests. From a customized birthday cake, to dairy or gluten restrictions, the chefs are masterful at making sure that no one feels neglected. As this sample menu demonstrates, vegetarian options abound and the variety of fare using fresh and readily available ingredients provides an opportunity to showcase your chef's creative versatility.