Africa is the home of very delicious, classic and even spiritual meals. At ILoveAfrica, we love to share very exotic meal recipes from all over the continent, and today we have Koshari, an Egyptian meal.
Koshari also spelled, Kushari is the national dish of Egypt; and one of the favorite things to eat on a visit to Egypt. You can find koshari in almost every home in Egypt, it is kind of like mac and cheese. Koshari is a hearty meal made with lentil rice, pasta, chickpeas, vinegar tomato sauce, and topped with fried onions.
Ingredients for Kushari
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup medium grain rice
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 2 cups small macaroni noodles (uncooked)
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 garlic clove , quartered
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Salt to taste
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion diced finely
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 15 oz can plain tomato sauce (cooked/pureed tomatoes)
- 2 tsp baharat spice blend
- 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes (omit if you don’t like it spicy hot)
- 1 tbs red wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Crispy Onion Garnish
- 2 large onions , very finely sliced
- Oil for deep-frying
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans , rinsed and drained
Preparation
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Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and fry it for 2 minutes, then add the vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
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Rinse the lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Add the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente.
Note: Prepare the rice, macaroni and lentils while the sauce is simmering and leave them covered in the pots to keep warm.
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To make sauce
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Add the tomato sauce, baharat, salt and pepper to taste, chile flakes (if using) and red wine vinegar. Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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To make the crispy onions, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and fry until dark brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain and cool.
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Add the rice, lentils and macaroni to a large bowl and toss to combine (or simply scoop out desired amounts of each onto the plates). Sprinkle a little baharat over each portion and serve topped with some of the spicy tomato sauce. Top with garbanzo beans, the crispy onions and another sprinkle of baharat. Serve warm
Recipe from Daringourmet.
