Authentic Egyptian Koshari

Name: Authentic Egyptian Koshari
Yield: Serves 6 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles; 2 cups Egyptian short-grain rice; 1/2 package spaghetti; 1 cup brown or black lentils; 1/2 package small pasta (like ditalini or elbow macaroni); 1/2 cup cooked and rinsed chickpeas; 2 1/4 lbs onions, sliced (about 1 kg); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for coating onions); 1/2 head garlic, minced (for tomato sauce); 2 1/4 lbs tomatoes (about 1 kg); 1 tablespoon ground cumin; Spices:; 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1 tablespoon mixed ground bay leaf and cardamom; Cayenne pepper, to taste; 1 tablespoon black pepper; Salt, to taste; For the koshari garlic vinegar sauce (dakka):; 2 cups water (about 480 ml); 5 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

سالي سيد @sally_zone

مصر

A classic and delicious Egyptian dish, packed with a variety of nutrients. In Egypt, it's well known that homemade koshari rarely tastes like the kind from koshari restaurants, but with these tips, yours will be even better than the restaurants!

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Ingredients

Serves 6 servings

1/2 cupvermicelli noodles
2 cupsEgyptian short-grain rice
1/2 packagespaghetti
1 cupbrown or black lentils
1/2 packagesmall pasta (like ditalini or elbow macaroni)
1/2 cupcooked and rinsed chickpeas
2 1/4 lbsonions, sliced (about 1 kg)
1/4 cupall-purpose flour (for coating onions)
1/2 headgarlic, minced (for tomato sauce)
2 1/4 lbstomatoes (about 1 kg)
1 tablespoonground cumin
Spices:
1 tablespoonground coriander
1 tablespoonmixed ground bay leaf and cardamom
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tablespoonblack pepper
Salt, to taste
For the koshari garlic vinegar sauce (dakka):
2 cupswater (about 480 ml)
5garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoonvinegar
1 teaspoonground cumin
1 teaspoonsalt
1 tablespoonlemon juice
1 teaspooncayenne pepper

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Steps

1

First, keep in mind: the oil you use to fry the onions will be used throughout the recipe—to sauté the rice, the garlic for the sauce, and to toss with the pasta after boiling to give it a glossy finish. Make sure to use fresh oil for the best flavor.
2

Use the water from boiling the lentils to cook the rice—this is a very important step.
3

Start by coating the sliced onions in 1/4 cup flour. Place them in a strainer and shake to remove excess flour. Fry the onions in oil, stirring occasionally, until they turn a light golden brown. The flour makes them extra crispy. Remove the onions and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with ground coriander for extra flavor.
4

Soak the lentils and chickpeas for at least 2 hours, then boil them until just tender (don’t overcook the lentils or they’ll get mushy). Leave them in their cooking water to finish softening, then drain. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the onion oil and set aside.
5

Toast the vermicelli in 1/4 cup of the onion oil until golden brown, then add the rice and cook together. Add the lentil cooking water and cook until the rice is done.
6

Boil the spaghetti and small pasta together until cooked. Drain and rinse with clean water, then toss with 3 tablespoons of the onion oil.
7

For the tomato sauce: Blend the tomatoes and strain through a fine sieve. Pour into a pot and cook over medium heat with no oil or fat until thickened. In a separate pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the onion oil and sauté the minced garlic. Add the garlic to the tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix all the spices in a small bowl, add to the sauce, stir twice, then add salt and turn off the heat. Don’t let the spices boil with the sauce to preserve their flavor—just stir them in and turn off the heat.
8

To assemble: In a large, deep serving dish, layer the rice, then the pasta, then the lentils and chickpeas, followed by the tomato sauce and fried onions. You can garnish with arugula for extra flavor. Serve with the garlic vinegar sauce (dakka) on the side. Enjoy!
9

For the dakka: Combine the garlic, cumin, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil again, let simmer for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Let cool before serving.