In fact many of their dishes are vegetarian and vegan, not because of some health fad or animal rights activism, but because veggies are abundant and meat pricey. The cuisine is literally built from foods that come from the ground, not to mention hearty. Even in ancient Egypt the peasants ate hearty bread, coarse and hard yes, but still hearty. So I focused on that, I wanted something vegetarian, or vegan even, and hearty. I found the perfect dish right away, one of Egypt’s many national dishes called kushari. With three kinds of grains and starches and onions, it fit the stereotypical Egyptian palette well.
I was actually taken aback by how much I liked this. In fact I was so ready to write a post about how it was nothing special and how bland or boring it was. That’s what I was thinking at least when I chose this dish, I went with it because it was a national dish of Egypt, not because I was truly enticed by it. In my mind I was thinking, “Oh this will probably be something I eat just for the sake of getting another country out of the way.” You can normally tell whether I think I will like a recipe before hand, those are the recipes I make enough for leftovers because I know I wouldn’t mind eating them again. This was not a “leftover” kind of dish.
Well, I was wrong, kushari tastes like nothing I’ve had before. Not that I’m terribly well acquainted with every cuisine on the planet, but I can’t even think of what to compare it with. It’s so strange that such common ingredients can be combined in a way that leaves me questioning what I just ate. It’s important to eat a little but of everything in every bite to get the full effect, a little bit of the pasta, rice, and lentil layer with the tomatoes and fried onions, yummy. Any part by itself isn’t nearly as good and no, it’s not terribly attractive (it’s not as ‘mushy’ as it looks though I promise), but it is flavorful, even if I’m a poor onion frier.
I especially liked how the peppers added a little sweat to my forehead, but I never thought of the dish as spicy, I mean I’m sure it could be if you added enough, but I found that the spicy was dulled and instead brought out the flavors of the fried onions. I do have to say one thing, this dish is definitely dense and not much will leave you full. My photo shows “one serving” but I only managed to eat half of that and stuck the rest in the fridge as tomorrow’s lunch. Props to Egypt, you were the first country to truly take me by surprise. Who knows maybe it’s one of those “you like it or you hate it” kinds of dishes, but it definitely took me by surprise in a good way.
1 serving
ReplyDeleteRice – 1/4 cup
Macaroni pasta – 1/4 cup
Lentils – 1/4 cup
Olive Oil – 1/2 tablespoons
Onion, chopped finely – 1/4
Garlic, minced — 1 cloves
Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (I used diced) – 14 oz can (less if you want less "sauce")
Pepper flakes – to taste
Salt and pepper — to taste
Oil for frying
Onion, sliced thinly for topping (optional)
Cook the rice and 1/2 cup of water in a covered pot until done, about 20 minutes. Cook the macaroni according to package directions, or until al dente. Simmer the lentils and 1/2 cups of water in a covered pot until tender, 30-45 minutes. I actually cooked the lentils for about 15 minutes then added rice and cooked until done to cut down the number of pots I had to clean.
While the rice, pasta and lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and pepper flakes, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, add a little water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the sliced onions and fry until they turn brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Place the rice, macaroni and lentils in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir together gently with a fork. Top with crispy fried onions and serve hot or at room temperature.
Variations – I didn’t do any of these things because I wanted to start off with basic, but it’s always an option
Try other types of pasta: penne, bucatini, ditalini.
Kushari is often served with a spoonful of cooked chickpeas on top.
Stir in some meat like cooked chunks of schawarma, chicken or lamb.
Serve with slices of lemon for individual diners to squeeze over their portions as they like.
Add a little ground cumin, cinnamon or baharat spice mix to the simmering tomato sauce if you like.