Koshary

Name: Koshary
Ingredients: Koshary; 6 large onions, sliced into very thin rings; Ghee, though vegetable oil can be substituted, but ghee is tastier!; 1/2 cup lentils, brown (feel free to substitute another skin-on lentil that generally remains firm, such as green lentils); 2 cups rice, inexpensive short-grain is the most authentic, but long-grain will work as well. I've even used par-boiled, but not my favorite.; 2 cups dry pasta, a mixture of broken spaghetti and small macaroni; 4 cups Egyptian tomato sauce (see below); 1 can chickpeas (you can buy dry and cook them, which is cheaper, but sheesh...how cheap are you?); salt; The Condiments; 7 ounces tomato paste (I tend to use the Italian stuff, which comes here in a 200 gram tube, but feel free to use a bit more or a bit less depending on what size you have available to you); 1 onion, minced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 4 cups water; 1/4 cup white vinegar (you really want a pretty plain, ie. cheap, vinegar); salt and pepper; the rest of the bottle of white vinegar; 8-10 cloves garlic, chopped

18 ingredients

8 steps

Ingredients

Koshary
6 large onions, sliced into very thin rings
Ghee, though vegetable oil can be substituted, but ghee is tastier!
1/2 cup lentils, brown (feel free to substitute another skin-on lentil that generally remains firm, such as green lentils)
2 cups rice, inexpensive short-grain is the most authentic, but long-grain will work as well. I've even used par-boiled, but not my favorite.
2 cups dry pasta, a mixture of broken spaghetti and small macaroni
4 cups Egyptian tomato sauce (see below)
1 can chickpeas (you can buy dry and cook them, which is cheaper, but sheesh...how cheap are you?)
salt
The Condiments
7 ounces tomato paste (I tend to use the Italian stuff, which comes here in a 200 gram tube, but feel free to use a bit more or a bit less depending on what size you have available to you)
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1/4 cup white vinegar (you really want a pretty plain, ie. cheap, vinegar)
salt and pepper
the rest of the bottle of white vinegar
8-10 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions

1

First, make the crispy onions. This is the most difficult step, and I have to admit that my onions often end up tasty, but not crispy. One short cut is to buy ready-made crispy onions at an Indian or Arabic shop. Its a garnish, so what the heck, but you're being cheap, right? Salt your onions and leave them out in a colander or on paper towels to shed some of their water. Give them a good squeeze after 20 minutes or so and roll them around in a towel to get as much water out as you can. Heat a good half-cup of ghee (or oil) over a medium-hot flame. Once it's hot, add the onions, stirring regularly until they go brown. Then keep cooking them a bit, really just before you're going to burn them. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread out on paper towels. They should crisp as they cool. If not, they'll still taste good, just pretend you meant for them to be like that. I mean, how many of your guests will have eaten koshary in Egypt anyway?
2

Rinse the lentils and then cover with water in a pot and simmer, skimming off any scum, until they are cooked, but still firm. You do NOT want mushy lentils. Drain and reserve in a bowl.
3

While the lentils are cooking, heat a few tablespoons of ghee (or oil) in a pot large enough to cook your rice. When hot, add the rice and fry , stirring, until all the grains go a bit translucent. Add 3 cups water and a bit of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low and cook until done, about 20-30 minutes, depending on your rice.
4

Cook the pasta in the usual way in the usual salted water. As with the lentils, no mushy pasta! Drain and reserve in a bowl.
5

Serve in good sized bowls so your guests can add condiments and mix to their hearts' delight. Start with a scoop of rice, then a scoop of pasta, and about 1/4 scoop of lentils. Sauce with some of the tomato sauce, then top with a sprinkling of crispy onions and a few (say, 3-6) chickpeas.
6

To make the Egyptian tomato sauce, heat a tablespoon or two of ghee or oil in a sauce pot. When hot, fry the onions until translucent, then add the 4 cloves of garlic. Stir for a few minutes more and once the garlic has released it's flavour, but not browned, add the tomato paste and water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has darkened and cooked. Add the 1/4 cup vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes longer. The sauce can be made a day in advance, but should be hot when you dish out.
7

To make the garlic vinegar, simply add the 8-10 chopped cloves to the remaining vinegar and let steep for a day or so. The vinegar should be on the table for guests to help themselves, so if you have a pretty bottle, feel free to use it.
8

You should also have a bottle of hot sauce on the table. I use a store bought, but don't know what brands you have access to, so can't make a specific recommendation. I would stay away from sauces with very distinctive flavours, such as Tabasco or anything with chipotle peppers. You want guests to be able to add a bit of heat, that's all.