The restaurant brings the flavors of Egypt to Somerville Avenue
Sahar Ahmed and her daughter Dina are the staff behind Koshari Mama, a vegan, Egyptian road food eatery that serves up genuine delicacies. Ahmed, who has been passing down household recipes from completely different generations, says that meals brings folks collectively and acts as a beneficial type of connection. Right here, I requested her in regards to the koshari, a nationwide dish, that they put together, and what makes her meals, which she says nurtures the soul, so distinctive.
What impressed you to open Koshari Mama? The place does your loved ones come from in Egypt, and what has it meant to them to come back to Somerville and run a enterprise right here?
The inspiration for opening Koshari Mama was from the reminiscence of my mother. Her title was Salwa. Rising up, my mom cooked to convey folks collectively. She got here to the U.S. as an immigrant, and meals was her method of holding her and us linked to our tradition. She was homesick, and meals was her method of sharing part of her. My daughter Dina and I needed to proceed my mother’s legacy, so we determined to open Koshari Mama. I used to be born in Cairo, Egypt, and Dina was born in the USA. Now we have been in Somerville for 2 and a half years. We began out at Bow Market as a pop-up after which moved to our personal brick and mortar location on Somerville Ave. We’re thrilled to be a part of the Somerville group, and we’re blissful we selected this metropolis. Somerville is a various metropolis, and we really feel welcomed.
What’s the tradition of Egyptian road meals like? Egypt serves as a hyperlink between Africa and the Center East; how is that this connection mirrored within the meals that individuals eat?
Avenue meals is for everybody in Egypt, and the road meals tradition is a vibrant one. It’s made with native, inexpensive substances which can be satisfying and accessible to all. The similarities within the substances in North Africa and the Center East is mirrored within the meals and it is a good connection … it’s acquainted, despite the fact that every nation has its personal little twists. These twists might be utilizing completely different spices, or getting ready the dish otherwise. Nevertheless it’s principally enjoying with the identical substances. Meals tells a narrative, and each time a recipe goes from one tradition to the following, it provides one other layer to that story.
Are you able to spotlight a few of your favourite dishes, what substances go into them, and the way they’re ready?
My favourite dish is koshari. It’s the final road meals, and it’s made up of rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas, topped with crunchy fried onions and a tomato based mostly sauce. One other favourite of mine, which can also be very typical road meals, is taamiya, which is also referred to as falafel. Egyptian taamiya is a little bit completely different from the falafel identified within the U.S. It has loads of greens and fava beans. Our taamiya additionally occurs to be gluten free.
Koshari Mama can also be a vegan restaurant. What made you resolve to serve solely vegan meals?
I’m vegan and my daughter is vegetarian. We determined to make Koshari Mama a vegan restaurant to spotlight the numerous methods you can also make vegan meals with out compromising on style. We’re continuously engaged on recipes and altering and altering to get one of the best and most genuine style.
You’re a household owned restaurant, a mom and daughter staff. Are you able to inform us a bit about how you’re employed collectively, the way you go on recipes, and what this familial connection means to you?
My daughter and I work facet by facet. I taught her what my mother taught me, and he or she is a skilled chef who has labored within the trade. We each be taught from one another, and this connection means the world to me. I hope that I can provide Dina what my mother supplied me; favourite household recipes, koshari, falafel, selfmade dips, desserts and principally the love of meals and the getting ready of meals for others. She taught me that meals is the last word connector; it tells a narrative. I finally realized that though individuals are completely different, now we have a lot in widespread, and we are able to share this by way of meals.
