Koshari: Egypt's comfort food winning hearts worldwide
Egyptian cuisine remains an undiscovered mystery for many people, as it’s not easy to find on all-inclusive vacations. One of its hallmark dishes is kosher, a blend of legumes with spices and tomatoes. It's a great side dish for meat or a standalone vegan dish that brings a fresh breeze into everyday cooking.
Koshari is one of those dishes that doesn’t necessarily present well on the plate but tastes delicious. It’s a popular street food from Egypt, often referred to as the country's national dish. In the unassuming bowl, there’s a lot going on, as it contains pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas. The entire dish is obligatorily topped with a spice mix called baharat and tomato sauce. The kitchen smells so good that you might feel like you’re at one of the Egyptian markets.
Koshari - an Egyptian delicacy
Koshari is extremely popular in Egypt, where it is sold on every street corner.
Rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas in one dish might seem controversial, but for good reason: Egyptians enjoy it. The combination of different textures and flavors, bound by an aromatic spice mix, is truly tasty. You don't need to search for baharat - you can prepare the mix at home.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of canned brown lentils
- 1 cup of white rice
- 1.5 cups of elbow macaroni
- 1 cup of canned chickpeas
- 10 fluid oz of vegetable broth
- Olive oil
- Salt to taste
Sauce:
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 teaspoons of baharat spice mix
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or wine vinegar
Baharat spice mix:
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
Directions:
- Chop half of the onion into cubes, and the other half into thin half-moons.
- Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil, then add garlic and baharat. Fry for a few minutes.
- Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and chili flakes. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Toss the half-moon onion pieces in flour and salt.
- Fry in oil until golden brown.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Cook the rice in the broth.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas.
- Heat the mixture through, adding some tomato sauce to taste.
- On a plate, place a portion of the pasta mixture.
- Drizzle with tomato sauce and sprinkle with crispy onions.
You can garnish the dish with chopped parsley or coriander. Enjoy!
