Stuffed Pigeon with Cinnamon-Spiced Rice

Name: Stuffed Pigeon with Cinnamon-Spiced Rice (Hamam Mahshi)
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) short grain rice, 8 pigeons, cleaned; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) short grain rice, 8 pigeons, cleaned; ½ a lemon; 2 tbsp butter; 1 tsp cayenne pepper or shatta (optional); 1 tsp cayenne pepper or shatta (optional); 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground allspice; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 400 ml (14 fl oz/1¾ cups) hot water; Milk, for brushing; Sea salt and ground black pepper; Sea salt and ground black pepper; 1 bay leaf; 4 cardamom pods; 1 yellow onion, quartered; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp whole peppercorns

Hamam Mahshi

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Egypt

By Suzanne Zeidy and Rawah Badrawi

Published 2026

About

Kom El Dikka Agrilodge delights guests with Egypt’s national delicacy: rice-stuffed pigeons cooked to perfection. Fayoum’s landscape is dotted with century-old mudbrick towers still used to raise these birds. Pigeons are popular in Egypt but could be hard to find elsewhere, in which case poussin makes a fine substitute.

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) short grain rice, 8

Africa
Egypt
Fayoum
Main course
Gluten-free
Low carb
High protein
Keto
Low calorie

Method

Soak the rice in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and drain. Rub the pigeons with the lemon half and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium pot over a high heat and cook the grated onion until golden. Add the cayenne pepper or shatta (if using), cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Stir, then add the rice and continue to stir over a hi