A new discovery
A few years ago I was ecstatic to discover this absolutely scrumptious Egyptian dish, koshari. I was wandering around Borough Market in London and saw a stall serving bowls of rice, lentils, chickpeas and pasta, topped with tomato sauce and crispy onions. The colourful sign advertising that the dish was vegetarian and vegan caught my eye, and I couldn’t resist buying a bowlful. I was not disappointed! It was probably the best thing I tasted on that trip to London. Exotic and spicy, it was packed with flavour and was such an interesting combination of ingredients. At first glance, I thought that it was going to be slightly dry, but that was not at all the case. It was moist and fluffy with a wonderful nutty texture.
Koshari, also spelt kushari or koshary, is a very popular Egyptian street food. It combines a mix of Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern influences. It is actually relatively similar to the Middle Eastern dish mujadra. Mujadra is a dish of spicy rice and lentils topped with crispy onions.
Koshari is even tastier made with brown rice and whole wheat pasta
Since that day, it has become a firm favourite in our house. Over the years I have developed this recipe, which takes me back to that cold day in Borough Market every time. I use brown rice instead of white, as I find it has more flavour and is healthier. As brown rice takes longer to cook, you can cook it with the lentils. If you use white rice, you will need to parcook the lentils before starting your koshari. You must then reduce the total cooking time .
If I can get hold of it, I use whole wheat elbow pasta, otherwise I use regular elbow pasta. You can also use a different type of small whole wheat pasta or use spaghetti and break it into bite-sized pieces.
A real crowd pleaser
For dinner, I like to serve koshari with a light mediterranean style salad. Koshari is also a real show stopper as part of a buffet table. It is easy to make in bulk and is very filling. Lots of people have never heard of it before, so it will lead to interesting conversations and some well earned foodie street cred!
Koshari, a Spicy Egyptian Delight
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Ingredients
- CRISPY ONIONS:
- 3 large onions (approx. 600g)
- 4-6 tbsps. flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 250ml oil (or more as needed)
- KOSHARI:
- 200g brown rice
- 200g brown/green lentils
- 1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 3tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. allspice
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 700-800ml water
- PASTA:
- 100g elbow pasta (ideally wholemeal - for vegans make sure it is 100% vegan)
- Pinch Salt
- A little olive oil
- CHICKPEAS:
- 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR 170g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked till tender
- TOMATO SAUCE:
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 medium onions (approx. 300g), diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2x 400g tins of tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- GARNISH:
- Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Instructions
ONIONS:
- Peel and thinly slice the onions into rings. Place them on a large tray or plate, and sprinkle over the flour and salt. Toss to coat thoroughly. You will probably need to do this in two batches.
- Heat the oil in a pot, and fry the onions in batches. They should be a darkish golden brown colour.
- Drain on a paper towel.
KOSHARI:
- Wash the rice well until the water runs clear. Pick out any dirt or stones from the lentils, and wash them well. Soak the rice and lentils together for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat a large, deep pan that has a lid, on a medium heat.
- Dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds. Once toasted and smelling fragrant, add the olive oil.
- Immediately add the cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar.
- Drain the rice and lentils, and add them to the pan. Stir through the oil and spices to coat well, and then fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 700ml water and place the lid on the pan. Bring the pan to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
- After 30 minutes, check to see how crunchy the lentils and rice are, and add 100ml water or more as needed. I usually find I need about 800ml in total.
- Cook for a further 10 minutes, and once the rice and lentils are just cooked, remove the pan from the heat, place a clean dish cloth over the rice and replace the lid. Let steam for 10 minutes.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Fluff it through with a fork.
PASTA:
- Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, and set aside.
TOMATO SAUCE:
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan, and fry the onions until translucent and starting to turn golden.
- Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add all the spices, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir through the onions, and fry for a further 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar and approximately 150ml water.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30-40 minutes until the sauce has reduced and the flavour is delicious. Taste and add salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar as needed.
TO SERVE:
- Check that all the components are well seasoned and delicious.
- Divide the fried onions in half, and fluff half of them through the koshari with a fork.
- Place the koshari in a large serving platter.
- Sprinkle the cooked pasta on top. Sprinkle the chickpeas on top.
- Generously spoon over tomato sauce, and place the rest in a bowl to serve on the side.
- Garnish with the remaining fried onions and some chopped coriander.
