Hawawshi

traditional Egyptian dish

Hawawshi is a traditional Egyptian dish. It is a pita stuffed with minced meat and spiced with onions, pepper, parsley, and occasionally chilies. The major variants of hawawshi are "baladi" (standard) and Alexandrian. In most of Egypt, it is baked by filling the flat Egyptian bread with the meat mix and then baking it in the oven. In Alexandria, the ingredients are placed between two circular layers of dough, then baked in an oven. Alexandrian hawawshi also usually have different spices and seasonings. Hawawshi has spread to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa with some variation. In the Levant, it is made using saj bread and includes hot peppers in the filling. In Algeria, it is known as "muhajib" and is eaten with soup or a yoghurt salad.