The most delicious Arabic food

Egyptian stuffed intestines (Mambar ) is a delicious and traditional dish made with sheep or cow intestines stuffed with a flavorful spiced rice mixture and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. Here’s how to make it Egyptian stuffed intestines with rice:

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Ingredients:

For the Intestines:

• 1 kg (2 lbs) sheep or cow intestines, cleaned thoroughly

For the Stuffing:

• 1 ½ cups short-grain rice, washed and drained
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ½ cup chopped dill (optional)
• 1 medium tomato, finely diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder (optional, for a spicy version)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter

For Cooking:

• 2 liters water (for boiling)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 1 tsp salt

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 2 cups tomato puree (or blended fresh tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp butter or oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
• 1 cup water or broth

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Instructions:

1. Clean the Intestines:

• Flip the intestines inside out and rub them with coarse salt and flour.
• Rinse under cold water, then soak in water with lemon juice or vinegar for 30 minutes.
• Scrape off any residue with a knife or rub them with more salt.
• Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

2. Prepare the Stuffing:

• In a large bowl, mix the rice, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, dill, diced tomato, tomato paste, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, chili powder, and oil/butter. Stir well.

3. Stuff the Intestines:

• Using a small funnel or your fingers, gently stuff each intestine about ¾ full with the rice mixture.
• Do not overfill, as the rice will expand while cooking.
• Tie the ends of the intestines with thread or make small knots.

4. Boil the Stuffed Intestines:

• In a large pot, bring water, onion, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and salt to a boil.
• Carefully add the stuffed intestines and let them simmer for 40-50 minutes until the rice inside is fully cooked.
• Remove them from the water and set aside.

5. Prepare the Tomato Sauce:

• In a pan, heat the butter or oil, add the minced garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, and water/broth.
• Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

6. Cook the Mambar in the Sauce:

• Add the boiled intestines to the tomato sauce and let them cook for another 15 minutes, absorbing the flavors.

7. Optional: Fry for a Crispy Finish

• For a crispy version, heat some oil in a pan and fry the stuffed intestines until golden brown after boiling.

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Serving Egyptian stuffed intestines with rice:

• Serve the mambar hot with extra tomato sauce.
• Pair with Egyptian salad (Salata Baladi) and pickles.

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Variations Egyptian stuffed intestines with rice:

• With Meat: Add ground beef to the rice mixture.
• Spicy: Add chili flakes to the sauce for extra heat.