EGYPT
The food of the revolution! This is how koshari is now described in Egypt, but before the uprising of the people against Mubarak, when thousands gathered in Tahrir Square, relying on koshari for sustenance, it was one of Egypt’s most loved national dishes, by poor and rich alike. The poor ate it on the street, off beautiful carts decorated with colored glass—these are becoming rarer now, replaced by stainless steel carts—and the rich ate it at home or in busy restaurants that serve only koshari, like Hind in modern Cairo and Abu Tareq in downtown Cairo. Koshari is a multilayered dish consisting of a mixture of rice/vermicelli, lentils, and pasta that could very well be a descendant of the Bengali Khichdi. It is served topped with a spicy tomato sauce, cooked chickpeas, and crisp caramelized onions, and it is an incredibly satisfying and delicious dish that is fairly simple to prepare, although you need several pans to make it. In Egypt, they have two tomato sauces, one that is plain and the other, called shatta, that is very spicy. I combine both in a rather spicy tomato sauce, pepped up with a naga jolokia chili (ghost pepper), one of the hottest chilies in the world, but you can use a milder chili such as Aleppo pepper, in which case increase the quantity to 1 teaspoon.
SERVES 4 TO 6
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion (3½ ounces/100 g), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
Two 14-ounce (400 g) cans Italian chopped tomatoes
¼ teaspoon naga jolokia (ghost pepper) flakes
Sea salt
FOR THE KOSHARI
Sea salt
1¼ cups (125 g) elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the macaroni
1 cup (200 g) brown lentils, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover
1 ounce (30 g) vermicelli, broken in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces if not already broken
1 cup (200 g) bomba or Calasparra rice
FOR THE GARNISH
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 large onions (14 ounces/400 g total), halved and thinly sliced
½ cup (100 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water with ½ teaspoon baking soda, drained, rinsed, and boiled in fresh water until tender but not mushy
1. To make the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or so. Add the chopped tomatoes and chili flakes and season with salt to taste. Let bubble gently for about 25 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced. Keep hot.
2. To make the koshari: In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to stop it from sticking.
3. Drain the lentils and put in a saucepan with water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes, or until tender but not mushy—some lentils will take longer to cook; test them after 10 minutes and if they need longer, let them cook for up to an extra 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and sauté, stirring all the time, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Rinse the rice under cold water and add to the pot and sauté for a few seconds. Add 1⅔ cups (410 ml) water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
5. Drain the lentils and add to the rice together with the macaroni (see Note). Taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Then wrap the lid with a clean kitchen towel and replace over the pan.
6. To make the garnish: Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) vegetable oil into large skillet and heat over medium heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Drop the sliced onions into the oil and fry, stirring every now and then, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. The onions need to get to a deep color for them to be crisp, but be careful not to let them burn. Remove with a slotted spoon to a sieve and shake off the excess oil—this will make them really crisp.
7. Transfer the koshari to a serving platter. Spoon the tomato sauce over the center and garnish with the chickpeas and crispy onions. Serve hot.
NOTE: You can also leave everything separate, mixing a little of the lentils in with the rice, and serve the dish in layers the way they do in Egypt.