Remember a Morgantown-favorite restaurant by cooking this winter warmer.
In 2017, Morgantown became the lucky home of an eatery that billed itself as the first fast-casual Egyptian restaurant in the U.S.: Cairo 2 Go in Suncrest Towne Centre. Restaurant operators Karim Abbara and his sister, Ranim Abbara, along with her husband and their business partner, Ahmed Abdelrehim, delighted in introducing all of us to authentic Egyptian flavors, and that shone through in every subtly seasoned dish. Read more about the restaurant in our spring 2019 story.
Cairo 2 Go closed its doors in 2021, but not before Morgantown magazine got its recipe for the traditional layered casserole known as Torley, or Torly. The Abbara family version was beef, although it can be made with lamb or chicken or vegetarian. This Egyptian dish is made entirely from ingredients found in local grocery stores. Serve it with rice for a satisfyingly warming Morgantown recipe flashback.
Cairo 2 Go’s Torley
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound beef cut into small cubes
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 serrano pepper diced
- 2 potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 zucchinis peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup peas
- 1 cup green beans
- 2 green peppers cut into small cubes
- 5 fresh tomatoes crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- Fresh cilantro to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a large pot over high heat, brown beef in canola oil. Add onion, garlic, serrano pepper, and tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add all vegetables and stir for 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, broth, salt, and pepper, and boil for 15 minutes. Add garlic and cilantro.
- Transfer to large, oven-safe dish and bake for 30 minutes, until surface becomes golden brown.
Notes
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