Kushari, also koshari, is an Egyptian dish originally made in the 19th century, made of rice, macaroni, and lentils mixed together, topped with a spiced tomato sauce, and garlic vinegar; garnished with crispy fried onions.
The star of this dish is the spicy tomato sauce made with Bahārāt, a spice mixture or blend used in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Bahārāt is the Arabic word for ‘spices’ (the plural form of bahār ‘spice’) The mixture of finely ground spices is often used to season lamb, fish, chicken, beef, and soups and may be used as a condiment.
Koshari is widely popular among workers and laborers. It may be prepared at home and is also served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over Egypt. As traditionally-prepared kushari does not contain any animal products, it can be considered vegan so long as all frying uses vegetable oil.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup brown lentils
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cup of basmati rice
- 1 ½ cup of stock vegetable, chicken, beef
- 1 package of flat parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Caramelized onions
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 white onions finely sliced
- 2 teaspoons coriander or coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- Spicy tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of Baharat spices mix
- 1/3 cup vinegar
- 1 ½ cup of tomato juice
Instructions
- Prepare caramelized onions and tomato sauce.
- Preparation of Caramelized Onions:
- In a hot pan with the olive oil and add all the ingredients except the sugar until the onions are tender, add the sugar and let cook 30 minutes more.
- Preparation of the tomato sauce:
- Heat the oil in a pot, and sauté the garlic, cumin, the red chili flakes, until the aromas are released, then add the vinegar and the tomato and let boil 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and fry it for 2 minutes, then add the stock. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Rinse the lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Add the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary. Remove half of the caramelized onions from the pan, sauté the rice and lentils and stir well until the ingredients are well mixed, add the chopped parsley.
- Serve with the caramelized onions and tomato sauce. Enjoy!
- Note: For the Baharat spice mix:
- tablespoons ground black pepper
- tablespoons ground coriander
- tablespoons ground cinnamon
- tablespoons ground cloves
- tablespoons ground cumin
- teaspoon ground cardamom
- teaspoons ground nutmeg
- tablespoons paprika
- Combine all the ingredients together till well mixed.
- Store in an airtight jar and keep away from direct sunlight.
6 thoughts on “Amazing Koshari”
I haven’t heard of this spice mix before but looking at the ingredient list, this whole thing sounds delicious! I know you said that the star is that tomato sauce, but those crispy onions sound pretty yummy too!! Love how healthy this is too – definitely a great way to start the week (especially after weekend eats 😉 ).
Hey Dawn, to my surprise very flavorful and filling I did not missed the meat at all!
Interesting. I’ve been to Egypt twice, but I didn’t try this dish. I love the combo of rice abd beans so I would definitely like this rice lentil recipe. Sounds really good!
I was really good! I was really surprised!
This sounds like such a fun and flavorful meal, Gaila! I’ve never heard of Bahārāt, but I enjoy hearing about new spice blends. We’re on full-out detox mode here after our vacation, and this sounds like a tasty meal that is still packed with flavor! I love the addition of the lentils in this one. Yum!!
I do hope you had a blast on your vacation, too bad they ended! This will be perfect for a detox menu! Have a great week!