Koshari/Kushari/Kosheri/Koshary

 

Considered Egypt’s national dish, koshari originated in India in the 14th century and then made its way to Egypt in the late 19th century during the British occupation. This was a time of great economic hardship, leading the Egyptian people to embrace a more plant-based, frugal way of eating. Koshari is the best and most popular street food and is found on most restaurant menus. It is also lovingly prepared in households throughout the country, albeit in different versions from family to family.

This beloved comfort food traditionally consists of rice, lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce, garbanzo beans, and fried onions. Because I like to make a dish my own, I’m substituting organic red quinoa for the rice, but feel free to make your version with white or brown rice. To cut down on prep time we’re using two items from Melissa’s Steamed Line, lentils and chickpeas, which only require quick heating up in the microwave. Instead of tomato sauce, I prefer crushed tomatoes for both flavor and some texture. And let’s go even easier on ourselves and use canned fried onions in place of fresh fried ones.

In nearly every home throughout Egypt, in restaurants simple or swanky, from a street vendor nicknamed “Mr. Koshari,” and now from your very own kitchen, this layered, comforting, flavorful dish is another you-won't-miss-the-meat meal for your plant-based dining pleasure – no matter which way you spell it.

Koshari

Ingredients
1 ½ cups red quinoa, prepared according to package directions
2 vegetable bouillon cubes or equivalent Better Than Bouillion
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Lentils
1 package Melissa’s Steamed Chickpeas
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni, prepared according to package directions
2 vegetable bouillon cubes or equivalent Better Than Bouillion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 generous pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
1 ½ cups canned fried onions

Preparation
Prepare the quinoa or rice according to package directions, putting 2 veggie stock cubes or equivalent Better Than Bouillion in the water at the start of cooking. Set aside. Cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions, putting 2 veggie stock cubes or equivalent Better Than Bouillion in the water at the start of cooking. Drain and set aside.
Separately heat the lentils and chickpeas in microwave-safe containers until heated through, about 3 minutes. Mix the lentils into the quinoa, add the coriander, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside. Also, set aside the warmed chickpeas.
To make the tomato sauce, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and bay leaves and continue sautéeing for another minute or until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and turn off the heat. Cover the pan to keep the sauce warm.
To assemble the koshari, use a casserole dish or serving platter and begin with a layer of the lentil and quinoa or rice mixture. Spoon the macaroni over the lentil mixture. Pour the tomato sauce over the macaroni. Spoon the chickpeas over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the fried onions over the chickpeas.