Kushari aka koshari is a traditional Egyptian dish which dates back in the 1800s. It is a blend of flavors and textures topped with fried onions and spicy tomato paste. The dish which has gained popularity since then is one of the national dishes you can’t miss when you walk in the streets of Egypt or in any restaurants. The hearty meal can be enjoyed in the morning for breakfast, during lunchtime or even dinner. And while you can enjoy your koshari in a restaurant, bringing the exquisite aroma of this hearty Cairo dish in your kitchen is worth it. To make the preparation time easy, we have compiled a detailed cook guide. Just take a look!
Course: Main course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Serves: 7
Preparation time: 10mins
Cook time: 35mins
What you need
For the dish
- 500g white or brown rice medium grain (cooked)
- Two cans of lentils 250g each
- Two cans of chickpeas 250g each
- 800ml water
- 1 tbsp salt
For pasta
- 450g spaghetti (broken into 1” pieces)
- 1 c elbow macaroni
For the tomato sauce
- 2 Diced tomato cans 14oz each (undrained)
- One minced onion (small-sized)
- 2 tbsp. canola or olive oil
- ½ tbsp. ginger
- Three garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1/2 tbsp. salt
- 1tbsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. cayenne
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Cloves
- Nutmeg
Fried onion topping
- Unbleached all-purpose flour (3 tbsp.)
- Two sliced onions (medium-sized)
- 2tbsp. canola or olive oil
Procedure
For preparing pasta
- Add water in a pan (medium-sized) and boil it over medium heat. Add your pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes uncovered
- Drain any water left and add little oil to prevent it from sticking
For the sauce
- In a medium-sized pan, heat 2 tsp of olive or canola oil over medium heat.
- Add your sliced garlic and onions and cook them for two to three minutes
- Add your canned tomatoes and other remaining sauce ingredients and stir for two minutes
- Simmer it for 20 minutes
- If the sauce is too dry, you can add water as preferred
- Taste your sauce and add salt and cayenne as preferred
For the onions
- Heat 2 tbsp of canola or olive oil in a non-stick pan
- Put your 3tbsp of flour in a bowl and add your onions. Mix them together and add to your heated oil
- Fry your onions on medium heat until brown
- Place a piece of serviette on a plate and transfer your fried onions to absorb any excess oil
Serving procedure
Each plate should start with rice, then lentils. Top it with your elbow pasta followed with half of you tomato sauce then your chickpeas and your crimpy onions.