Koshari

Kushari, also koshary, kosheri or koshari

Have you as a child watched the 1956 make of the “The Ten Commandments?”

My mother took me and my sister to watch this movie!!! And we were fascinated the visuals and the screenplay was something we had never witnessed before.

Cut to present my elder one was to participate in fancy dress and she was Cleopatra!!

We all love the pyramids … okay, I passed on my fascination with Egypt to the kiddo and her to the younger one so the choice for E in the “Around the World in 30 Days” was natural “Egypt!”

According to Wikipedia,” Kushari, also koshary, kosheri or koshari is an Egyptian dish of rice, macaroni and lentils mixed together, topped with a tomato-vinegar sauce; some add short pieces of spaghetti garnished with chickpeas and crispy fried onions. A sprinkling of garlic juice and hot sauce are optional.”

This was a poor man’s food but like all tasty foods has become the national food of Egypt.
There are places that specialise in making of koshari but you can eat it on the roadside too!

I know where I will have mine. But right now you can have it virtually here.By the way, do not let this long list of ingredients put you off the end result is awesome!!

Kushari, also koshary, kosheri or koshari

Koshari

Recipe Source: The Daring Gourmet

Cuisine: Egyptian

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 tblspn olive oil
1 cup medium grain rice (I used sona masuri)
1 cup brown lentils
2 cups small macaroni
2 cups vegetable stock
10 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
2 tblspn olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste

For the Sauce:

2 tblspn olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
2 tblsp of garlic and ginger paste
4 large tomatoes, peeled and pureed
2 tsp baharat spice blend see recipe here
½ teaspoon red chilli flakes (omit if you dislike spicy hot)
1 tblspn red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Crispy Onion Garnish:

2 onions, finely sliced
Oil for deep-frying
1cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans, soaked overnight

Method:

Wash the rice with water twice and drain in the strainer.
Wash and rinse the lentils in water.
Boil the chickpeas, known in the Indian Sub-continent as Cholay, soaked overnight in the pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and boil for 2 whistles only. Let the pressure drop naturally then open and drain the cholay. I reserved the water to add it to the stock.

As the cholay is cooking make the sauce. For that:

Heat the oil in a kadhai over medium heat and add the onion.
Cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger paste and saute until golden brown.
Add the tomato puree, baharat, salt and pepper to taste, chilli flakes (if using) and
red wine vinegar.
Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
As the sauce is simmering let’s make the rice and the lentils and the macaroni.

To make the rice:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
Add the drained rice and fry it for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock bring it to a boil.
Lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

To make the lentils:

Add the rinsed lentils to a medium pan with 2 cups of water. (I needed 3 cups of water.)
Add the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary.
Meanwhile cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente.
To make the crispy onions, heat the oil in a kadhai.
Add the onions and fry until dark brown.
Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain and cool.

To Serve:

Add the rice, lentils and macaroni to a large bowl and toss to combine but I added the desired amount of each on the plates.
Sprinkle a little baharat over each portion and serve topped with some of the spicy tomato sauce.
Top with garbanzo beans which is Kabuli cholay, the crispy onions and another sprinkle of baharat.
Serve warm.

An InLinkz Link-up

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

Also linking to Priya's CWS hosted by Chef Mireille here.

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

You may also like to try Pindi Chole with the chickpeas. They are amazingly delicious.

Comments

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The Pumpkin Farm says

September 05, 2014 at 4:17 pm

whats not to like here....i did watch 10 commandments but dont remember it as it has been a long while..will do now

Varadas Kitchen says

September 05, 2014 at 4:28 pm

That is a pretty elaborate preparations. Lot of effort. Awesome!

Sapana Behl says

September 05, 2014 at 5:18 pm

Kosheri looks fabulous , nicely presented !

Harini-Jaya R says

September 05, 2014 at 5:54 pm

I am totally convinced that African flavors are more to our taste. This one sounds so very much like-able!

Usha says

September 05, 2014 at 7:07 pm

The Ten Commandments is aired on one of the network channels every east Sunday. The firs few years I watched it every year.

Kushari is nice one pot meal.

Priya Suresh says

September 05, 2014 at 8:43 pm

Looks like today is Koshari's day, looks filling and comforting one pot meal.

Pavani N says

September 06, 2014 at 12:47 am

Koshari is probably one of the dishes that I'm definitely going to be making often. Love your addition of whole masoor dal, will try that next.

vaishali sabnani says

September 06, 2014 at 4:41 am

Ten Commandments was one of my favourite movies and have been planning to watch it again..and the street food from Egypt looks and sounds delicious. .I can see many versions today. It surely sounds like a great recipe..book marked .

Manjula Bharath says

September 06, 2014 at 5:59 am

wow such an elaborated way to make them love the addtion of macroni to them 🙂 koshari sure looks super tempting dear !!

Srivalli says

September 06, 2014 at 1:04 pm

Wow the pictures have come out so well..well captured..

Padmajha PJ says

September 06, 2014 at 11:58 pm

Visiting Egypt tops my list of countries.And coming to the dish, though the prep is elaborate , it would have tasted great!

Shama Nagarajan says

September 07, 2014 at 11:29 am

yummy preparation

Gayathri Kumar says

September 09, 2014 at 6:10 am

Yes I love Ten Commandmments and even now I watch it often. And this dish looks like a filling meal with all the elements...

Chef Mireille says

September 09, 2014 at 3:29 pm

I made this for previous BM theme and loved it so much - your first pic is so mouth watering

Priya Srinivasan says

September 16, 2014 at 5:00 am

Looks totally delicious! !! Two varied recipes of koshari today and both looks scrumptious! !

Foodiliciousnan says

October 08, 2014 at 7:18 pm

Oh! That's a long process indeed... But the end result seems totally with it. Good one here Archana

Sreevalli E says

October 10, 2014 at 12:38 am

Macaroni & rice in one dish.. Very interesting.

Elizabeth Kurian says

June 25, 2020 at 10:44 am

Super

- ArchanaPotdar says
  
  June 26, 2020 at 11:51 am
  
  Elizabeth, Thanks.

Kushari/Koshary/Kosheri/ Koshari~ Egyptian

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