Loading ...Egypt’s Kushari – A Traditional and Healthy Staple
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer
A hearty dish made with rice, lentils, macaroni, browned sliced onions, and tomato sauce, Egypt’s kushari is popular among the working classes because it includes inexpensive ingredients while nutritious. In Egypt, it is made in homes and is also sold at roadside stalls and in restaurants all over the country. Absolutely delicious with its many textures and a bit of spice, this dish is a vegetarian delight.
Serves about 8
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups rice
2 teaspoons salt
8 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted in 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups cooked brown lentils
Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan, then sauté onions over medium-high heat until light brown. Remove with slotted spoon, then drain on paper towel and set aside.
Place 3 cups of the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a saucepan then bring to boil. Add rice, then lower heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and stir. Re-cover and allow to cook in own steam for another 30 minutes.
Cook vermicelli according to directions on package, then drain and set aside.
Sauté garlic slices in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until golden then add vinegar, tomato paste, remaining 1 1/2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt, cumin and cayenne. Cook until mixture boils, then lower heat and cook sauce for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat but keep warm.
Spread on a serving dish, the rice, lentils, and vermicelli in that order, then spoon sauce over top. Garnish with fried onions then serve immediately.
Check out our blog here.
