Koshari

I had my first taste of koshari at this restaurant here in Muscat called Kusharina. With pasta and tomatoes, chickpeas what was not to like?? Maybe it is my Middle-eastern upbringing but I love anything that has chickpeas and tomatoes in it :) Today as I stepped into the kitchen with the intent of making pasta, I realized that we didn't really have enough for everyone. Then I noticed the can of chickpeas staring at me and the packs of tomato puree and the bottle of masoor dal and suddenly my brain put all that randomness together and brought back this little memory of koshari tucked away deep deep deep deep deep inside!! Lunch was decided!

Looked at the internet for some recipes and realized I pretty much had everything so that was that.

All you need is:

Crispy Onions:

2 large onion, sliced into really thin rings(I found slicing them into rings worked way better than regular chopped slices)

For Tomato Sauce

Cooking oil (I used olive)

1 small onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 –1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 

2 packs of pureed tomato 

Salt and pepper

1–2 tbsp white vinegar

1 1/2 cup masoor also known as brown lentils and well-rinsed

1 1/2 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed, soaked in water for 15 minutes, drained

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1/2 tsp coriander powder

2 cups elbow pasta

Cooking oil

Water

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained

Coriander leaves chopped to garnish(I used a small bunch)

To begin:

Make the crispy onions. Deep fry in oil till they are caramelized and crisp(not burnt) took me about 15-20 minutes

Make the Tomato Sauce. 

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add the sliced onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander powder, and red pepper flakes and saute briefly until fragrant. Took me about a minute.

Stir in the tomato puree and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens.

Stir in the white vinegar, and turn off the heat.

Next, cook the daal. Bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until lentils are just tender not mushy. Add a bit of salt and switch off the flame. Meanwhile, drain the rice. Add the par-cooked lentils, water, and all to the rice in a saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. Add water as needed and bring to a boil; the water should reduce a bit. Now cover and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and both the rice and lentils are well cooked through. Add the drained chickpeas and keep covered for about 5 minutes or so.

Make the pasta on the side while the rice and lentils are cooking. Add a dash of salt and a little oil. I also added in a cube of chicken stock because I like the taste! Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain.

Now to put it all together! 

Fluff the rice, lentils and chickpeas with a fork. Top with the elbow pasta and add the tomato sauce, Use the crispy onions and chopped coriander for garnish. Mix all before serving.

Koshari is supposedly a street food in Egypt. I couldn't help but think that this was probably the invention of a mommy who had lots of leftovers in the fridge :)  I actually found myself agreeing and empathizing with her LOL The kids seemed to love it and it seemed like a pretty wholesome meal to me. Considering this was my first attempt, I definitely see myself making this more often and am glad the brain got it together for once. Much needed and much grateful!!

Vive Valeque ❤️