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Egyptian Koshari

African · 65 min · Medium · 4 servings

Egyptian Koshari

Egypt's national dish: rice, lentils and pasta layered together under a sharp spiced tomato sauce and a heap of crisp fried onions. Carbohydrate on carbohydrate, and completely justified.

~930 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

nut-freesoy-freehigh-protein
Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Fry the onions

    ⏱ 25 min

    Fry the sliced onions in the oil in a deep pan over medium heat, stirring often, until deep brown and crisp. Lift onto kitchen paper — they crisp further as they cool. Keep a little of the onion oil.

  2. 2

    Cook the lentils

    ⏱ 25 min

    Simmer the lentils in plenty of water until tender but still holding their shape, then drain and season with salt.

  3. 3

    Cook the rice and pasta

    ⏱ 20 min

    Cook the rice with the water for the rice in a covered pot until the water is absorbed, and boil the pasta separately in salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta.

  4. 4

    Make the sauce

    ⏱ 15 min

    Heat the reserved onion oil in a saucepan, fry the garlic for a minute, then add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, cumin, coriander and chili flakes. Simmer until thick, then stir in the vinegar and season sharply.

  5. 5

    Layer it up

    Pile the rice into a wide bowl, then the lentils, then the pasta and the chickpeas. Ladle the hot tomato sauce over the top and finish with a generous heap of the crisp onions.

Notes

The three starches are cooked separately and only meet in the bowl — do not be tempted to cook them together. The vinegar in the sauce is what stops the whole thing tasting heavy, so do not leave it out.

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