Koshari
> 1 Hour
Koshari
Ingredients
Method
Crispy onion topping:
Transform those onion rings into golden nuggets of goodness by salting and coating them in flour. Remove any excess flour.
Sizzle those rings to perfection in a large skillet with cooking oil until they reach a tantalizing caramelized brown, making sure to stir often. Crispy but not burnt is the name of the game (15-20 minutes).
The Tomato Sauce:
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add the grated onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (do not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté briefly until fragrant (30-45 seconds more).
Dive into tomato sauce bliss by stirring in the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt. Simmer and let it thicken for 15 minutes.
Stir in the distilled white vinegar and turn down the heat. Keep it warm and covered until it's time to dazzle.
Cooking the Koshari:
Get ready to par-cook those lentils by boiling them with 4 cups of water in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. After 15-17 minutes, drain them and season with a pinch of salt. (Note: when the lentils are ready, they should not be fully cooked. They should be only par-cooked and still have a bite to them as they need to finish cooking with the rice).
Drain the rice from its soaking water. Combine the par-cooked lentils and the rice in the saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. After cooking for 3 minutes and stirring regularly, add warm water to cover the mixture by about 1 ½ inches (roughly 3 cups of water). Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the rice and lentils are well cooked through and all the liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Leave it covered and untouched for 5 minutes to achieve the perfect texture.
While the rice and lentils are cooking, cook the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Cook until al dente, then drain.
Warm up the chickpeas in the microwave before serving.
To serve, distribute the rice and lentil mixture evenly on a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and half of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally, half of the crispy onions for garnish. Make sure the rice is plain white and not colored. Avoid shaping the plate, distribute the food evenly. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.
Koshari
> 1 Hour
Ingredients
Method
Crispy onion topping:
Transform those onion rings into golden nuggets of goodness by salting and coating them in flour. Remove any excess flour.
Sizzle those rings to perfection in a large skillet with cooking oil until they reach a tantalizing caramelized brown, making sure to stir often. Crispy but not burnt is the name of the game (15-20 minutes).
The Tomato Sauce:
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Add the grated onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (do not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté briefly until fragrant (30-45 seconds more).
Dive into tomato sauce bliss by stirring in the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt. Simmer and let it thicken for 15 minutes.
Stir in the distilled white vinegar and turn down the heat. Keep it warm and covered until it's time to dazzle.
Cooking the Koshari:
Get ready to par-cook those lentils by boiling them with 4 cups of water in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. After 15-17 minutes, drain them and season with a pinch of salt. (Note: when the lentils are ready, they should not be fully cooked. They should be only par-cooked and still have a bite to them as they need to finish cooking with the rice).
Drain the rice from its soaking water. Combine the par-cooked lentils and the rice in the saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. After cooking for 3 minutes and stirring regularly, add warm water to cover the mixture by about 1 ½ inches (roughly 3 cups of water). Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the rice and lentils are well cooked through and all the liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Leave it covered and untouched for 5 minutes to achieve the perfect texture.
While the rice and lentils are cooking, cook the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Cook until al dente, then drain.
Warm up the chickpeas in the microwave before serving.
To serve, distribute the rice and lentil mixture evenly on a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and half of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally, half of the crispy onions for garnish. Make sure the rice is plain white and not colored. Avoid shaping the plate, distribute the food evenly. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.