Egyptian street food: Discover the flavors of koshari

Egyptian cuisine remains an undiscovered mystery for many people, as it’s not commonly found on all-inclusive vacations. One of its characteristic dishes is koshari, a mix of legumes with spices and tomatoes. It's a great side dish for meats or a standalone vegan dish that adds a fresh twist to everyday cooking.

Koshari is one of those dishes that doesn’t necessarily look attractive on the plate but tastes really good. It’s a popular street food dish from Egypt, often referred to as the national dish of the country. Despite its unassuming appearance, there’s a lot going on in the bowl as it contains pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas. The whole dish is topped with a spice mix called baharat and tomato sauce. The kitchen smells so good, you might feel like you’re at an Egyptian market.

Koshari is extremely popular in Egypt, where you can find it on every street corner. It is also gaining popularity in Poland and can be found in some Middle Eastern restaurants.

Rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas in one dish might seem like an unconventional idea, but there's a good reason Egyptians enjoy it. The combination of different textures and flavours, bound by an aromatic spice mix, is quite tasty. You don't need to search for baharat – you can prepare the mix at home.

Ingredients:

• 250 ml of canned brown lentils,
• 250 ml of white rice,
• 375 ml of elbow macaroni,
• 250 ml of canned chickpeas,
• 300 ml of vegetable broth,
• olive oil,
• salt to taste.

Sauce:

• 1 large onion,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• 2 teaspoons of baharat spice mix,
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes,
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes,
• 45 ml of lemon juice or wine vinegar.

Baharat spice mix:

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin,
• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds,
• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika,
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper,
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves,
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom,
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon,
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Directions:

1. Chop half of the onion into cubes, and the other half into thin half-moons.
2. Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil, then add garlic and baharat. Fry for a few minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and chili. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Toss the half-moon onion pieces in flour and salt.
5. Fry in oil until golden brown.
6. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
7. Cook the rice in the broth.
8. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas.
9. Heat the mixture through, adding some tomato sauce to taste.
10. On a plate, place a portion of the pasta mixture.
11. Drizzle with tomato sauce and sprinkle with crispy onions.

You can garnish the dish with chopped parsley or coriander. Enjoy!