In Egypt, the traditional Christmas dish made with rice, bread, and meat is fattah, also spelled fattah or fatta.
Egyptian fattah is a celebratory layered dish. Pieces of toasted or crisp flatbread are topped with rice and meat, then moistened with a garlic-and-vinegar sauce and a flavorful meat broth. Tomato, garlic, and vinegar give the dish its characteristic sharp, savory taste, while the bread adds texture.
Fattah is strongly associated with special occasions in Egypt, including Coptic Christmas and the Muslim feasts of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Its broader family, fatteh, is found throughout the Arab world, where the bread, protein, sauces, and toppings vary by region.
The main trap is koshari, another famous Egyptian comfort food made from rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, and tomato sauce; it does not traditionally center on meat and soaked bread. Falafel is fried seasoned legume mixture, and molokhia is a leafy green soup or stew. The spelling “fatteh” is also valid, but “Fattah” is a fair answer here.