The koshari is an Egyptian street food that is slightly reminiscent of the beloved majdera that combines rice and lentils, but it really doesn't stop there. In the Egyptian koshari you will find besides rice, lentils and fried onions also thin and brown noodles and a thick and rich tomato sauce with hummus grains that are served on top.
This is a dish that is a complete meal, nutritious and rich in vegetable protein. After you make it once, you will discover that the tomato and chickpea sauce is also a great base as a sauce for meatballs and you can just put it over white rice like the bean dish in the sauce. And if you feel like a quick side dish, prepare the rice with the lentils and the brown noodles without the sauce.
Ingredients for the recipe
For rice with lentils and noodles:
2 cups of jasmine rice1 cup of green lentils1 cup thin noodles (for soup)2 onions - halved and cut into medium slices2 teaspoons cumin (flat)Salt4 tablespoons of olive oil
For tomato sauce and chickpeas:
1 cup of chickpeas - soaked overnight in water4 tablespoons of olive oil1 onion - coarsely chopped2 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped¼ teaspoon cumin2 tablespoons of tomato paste4 ripe tomatoes - coarsely chopped
Preparation
How do you make rice with lentils and toasted noodles?
1. Start preparing the sauce: filter the chickpeas from the soaking water and place in a wide, deep pot. Add water up to a height of 5 cm above the grains, bring to a boil and skim off the foam that accumulates on the surface of the water. Cook for about an hour and 20 minutes, while gently bubbling (it is important to keep the chickpeas covered with plenty of water throughout cooking, you can add more as needed).
2. At the same time heat a wide pot, add olive oil, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Fry for about 10 minutes until golden. Add the cumin and cook for another 5 minutes (until it begins to brown).
3. Add the tomato paste, mix, add a little oil if necessary and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and another pinch of salt, mix well and cook covered for about 20 minutes.
4. Strain the chickpeas from the cooking water and add to the tomato sauce along with a cup of hot water or a cup of the chickpea cooking water. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat, partially covered, for about an hour until the chickpeas are very soft and the sauce is thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Prepare the rice with the lentils and the noodles: wash the lentils in a colander and place in a deep pot, pour water to cover up to a height of 3-4 cm above them, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook partially covered for about 20 minutes, until they soften but not completely. Drain and save the cooking water.
6. In the meantime, toast the noodles in a wide pot with a tablespoon of olive oil, until they start to brown a little. Edge with a spoon and place on absorbent paper.
7. Pour about 3 more tablespoons of olive oil into the pot where the noodles were fried and add the onion and a little salt. Fry for about 10 minutes until golden. Season with cumin and continue to fry, stirring, until deep brown (about 20 minutes in total).
8. Add the rice, along with the roasted noodles, mix well, until the rice is warm to the touch with your fingers (about 5 minutes on medium-low heat).
9. Measure the amount of cooking water remaining for the lentils and add water as needed, to obtain 4 cups of liquid. Pour them into the rice pot, salt well, mix and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and leave covered for another 20 minutes.
10. Serving: add the lentils to the rice pot and mix gently, while "airing" the rice. Pour the rice into serving bowls, pour over sauce and a little more olive oil.