Koshari is one of the oldest, most popular dishes of Egypt. Made with lentils, pasta, caramelized onions, chick peas and tomato sauce, it is tasty and healthy (with lots of carbs)! It is an outstandingly tasty vegetarian dish that can be bought at road stalls and restaurants daily where ever your are in Egypt. There are many different version of Koshari, depending on the region and country. Iraqi Jews prefer a derivative dish called Kichree with only lentils and rice. Countries such as Lebanon and Palestine prefer Mujaddara, a classic rice-brown lentils dish. It is thought that Koshari was originally adapted from the Indian dish Kitchari , a rice and lentils creation brought to Egypt in the late 19th century. I made this recipe today for my family and everyone loved it. This recipe serves 3-4 people. Happy Cooking! Click Read More to see the rest of the recipe!
If you see the asterix (**), thats me talking! (not from the original recipe)
If you see the asterix (**), thats me talking! (not from the original recipe)
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the lentils in just over a litre of salted water.
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup uncooked pasta (small shells or elbow macaroni is best)
- 2 large onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 (400 g) can chopped tomatoes ** ( you must puree them)
- salt and black pepper
Directions
Cook the lentils in just over a litre of salted water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of lentils you are using.
When the lentils are quite tender, add the rice to the lentils and continue simmering until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary
When the lentils are quite tender, add the rice to the lentils and continue simmering until the rice is cooked, adding water if necessary
Cook the macaroni in a separate pot. * I used two kinds; elbow macaroni and pasta. Since Koshari is eaten with a spoon, i broke the pasta in half so that it is easier to eat!
Rinse and strain when done. Then set aside.
Meanwhile, cut and fry the onions. *To get them to fry well, I dusted the onions with 1/4 cup of flour and then i fried them until they were almost burnt.
Place the minced garlic into a saucepan for a few minutes. * I ran mine through the food processor to make sure it was small enough. You won't puree the sauce, so you want to make sure it is small enough.
Add the pureed tomatoes, , salt and pepper to taste and let it bubble for 10-20 minutes or until thickened and sauce like.
Mix the lentils, rice and macaroni together in one pot.
Place some of the lentil mixture on each plate and top with tomato sauce.
Recipe derived from: http://www.food.com/recipe/koshari-39446
All Photos are my own.
Need more help? Watch this video!