Kushari is a beloved Egyptian street food and a staple dish in many households, combining the vibrant flavors of lentils, rice, and macaroni in a hearty and comforting medley. This iconic dish is a symphony of textures and tastes, featuring the earthy lentils, the fluffy rice, and the tender macaroni, all enveloped in a tangy tomato sauce, a sprinkle of crispy fried onions, and the aromatic warmth of cumin. Alongside the main Kushari recipe, this article offers delightful variations to cater to diverse preferences. For those who prefer a meaty twist, the Kofta Kushari incorporates succulent meatballs into the mix, while the Alexandrian Kushari tantalizes taste buds with its unique blend of spices and the addition of chickpeas. Additionally, the Lentil Soup variation offers a wholesome and nutritious take on this classic dish, perfect for a cozy and satisfying meal.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
EGYPTIAN LENTILS AND RICE (KOUSHRY)
Steps:
- For the lentils: Soak the lentils in cold water for 2 hours. Drain. To the boiling water, add the lentils. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary For the rice: To the boiling water, add the salt and butter. Stir in the rice. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. In a sautepan, cook onions in olive oil, then add rice and lentils and seasoning and more water if needed. Simmer approximately 10 minutes.
KOSHARI RECIPE
Koshari is a traditional Egyptian staple, mixing chick peas, pasta, fried onions, and zesty tomato sauce, served on top a bed of rice and brown lentils! Flavor packed and not to mention healthy!
Provided by The Mediterranean Dish
Categories Vegetarian
Time 1h22m
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Sprinkle the onion rings with salt, then toss them in the flour to coat. Shake off excess flour.
- In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat, cook the onion rings, stirring often, until they turn a nice caramelized brown. Onions must be crispy, but not burned (15-20 minutes).
- In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the grated onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (do not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using, and saute briefly until fragrant (30-45 seconds more).
- Stir in tomato sauce and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens (15 minutes or so).
- Stir in the distilled white vinegar, and turn the heat to low. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Cook the lentils. Bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until lentils are just tender (15-17 minutes). Drain from water and season with a little salt. (Note: when the lentils are ready, they should not be fully cooked. They should be only par-cooked and still have a bite to them as they need to finish cooking with the rice).
- Now, for the rice. Drain the rice from its soaking water. Combine the par-cooked lentils and the rice in the saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp cooking oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add warm water to cover the rice and lentil mixture by about 1 1/2 inches (you'll probably use about 3 cups of water here). Bring to a boil; the water should reduce a bit. Now cover and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and both the rice and lentils are well cooked through (about 20 minutes). Keep covered and undisturbed for 5 minutes or so.
- Now make the pasta. While the rice and lentils are cooking, make the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a dash of salt and a little oil. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain.
- Cover the chickpeas and warm in the microwave briefly before serving.
- To serve, fluff the rice and lentils with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and 1/2 of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally 1/2 of the crispy onions for garnish. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 0 calories, Sugar 0 g, Sodium 0 mg, Fat 0 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, UnsaturatedFat 0 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg
HAMADA'S AUTHENTIC EGYPTIAN KUSHERIE
The following is an authentic Egyptian recipe for restaurant style kusherie--a traditional Egyptian dish. This dish was taught to me by my Egyptian husband. It is simple, healthy, inexpensive and a real crowd pleaser! I did not include directions below how to cook the rice, you need only to cook 2 cups dry rice in your favorite chicken (or vegetable if you'd like to make a vegetarian version) stock. It seems that depending on the type of rice used, the quantity of stock and cooking time can vary, so use the kind you like and cook it the way you like.
Provided by UmmIbrahim
Categories Beans
Time 45m
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Chop the onions into small pieces ( I use the small electric food chopper and chop them in batches ) Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chopped onions for use later in the sauce.
- Heat the oil on med high heat, you want the oil to be very hot before putting in the onions.
- Add the onions in batches and fry until you get a deep brown (but not burned) color. You want them to be crispy. Be sure to watch them carefully as they go from medium brown to dark kind of quickly.
- Drain them onto paper towels and set aside.
- Boil lentils in water (about 4 cups) along with 1 clove garlic cut into quarters, and 1 tablespoon cumin until cooked, drain and set aside. MEANWHILE:.
- Boil the macaroni until done (about 10 min).
- Cook the rice in the chicken stock add salt if the broth is unsalted.
- Put them all together in the same pot and mix well.
- Make the sauce.
- In 1 tablespoon oil heated over medium heat add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped onions that you reserved from before, and a dash of salt, stir and fry about 2 minute.
- Add 1 and ½ teaspoon sugar to the onion garlic mixture and mix well.
- Next, add one can 15 oz can tomato sauce.
- Now add 2 tablepoons vinegar, a small squirt yellow mustard and a dash of lime juice. You can adjust the amounts according to your personal taste but it should have kind of a slight puckery bite.
- To serve, put the kusherie onto a plate and add a SMALL amount of sauce to the top. (A little goes a long way, and you can always add more according to taste) Sprinkle the whole thing liberally with the fried onions. Mix together and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 759.6, Fat 37.7, SaturatedFat 5, Sodium 383, Carbohydrate 92.6, Fiber 7, Sugar 7.7, Protein 13.3
KUSHARI - EGYPTIAN RICE LENTILS AND TOMATOES
I saw this dish being made on a travel/food program so the measurements are a bit of a guess. I would say this would be about 6 serves. The tomato sauce is quite vinegary. If you a seasoned cook you could cook the lentils, rice and macaroni all together adding the ingredients at the right time so everything finishes cooking at the same time. I like to add a good sprinkle of chilli oil just before serving.
Provided by Coasty
Categories Low Cholesterol
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Pick over the lentils and wash well and drain. In a large pot add lentils and cover with cold water so the water is 3cm above the lentils. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 mins until tender. You make need to add more water through the cooking, stir occasionally.
- Cook the rice in your preferred method (I use a rice cook so its easy). If you want cook the rice in stock or add a stock cube.
- For the sauce heat 1/2 cup oil in large fry pan and saute the garlic and chilli for a few minuets Add the tomatoes, water and vinegr and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked down - about 20 minutes.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil and saute the onion until golden brown. You can also fry until crispy if you like. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- To serve the dish divide and layer ther lentils, then rice, then macaroni followed by the tomato sauce and fried onions.
DIANA'S EGYPTIAN LENTILS & RICE
Easy. Healthy. Vegan. Crockpot. Yummy. How can you *not* want to make this? Credit goes to "Diana in Wisconsin" of the Simple Living Discussion Forums. The amount of servings depends on whether you're making this as a main dish or a side.
Provided by Roosie
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 8h15m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Place the olive oil into the bottom of the crock pot.
- Turn the pot onto the highest setting and add the onions.
- Allow the onions warm in the oil for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including the water.
- If cooking the dish all day, reduce heat to low, otherwise leave on high setting.
- Cover.
- Stir the dish while in the crock- If it is dry, add a little water- If it's soup-like, remove lid for a little while, or turn heat to high setting.
- It's tasty as a main meal or as a pilaf to accompany other meals- Cook for 8 hours on low or 4-5 on high.
- NOTE: Start with 5 cups water or broth- That way it won't be"mushy" if you make this recipe while you're out for the entire day- You can always add more water or broth, but it's hard to"un-mush" lentils& rice!
- Note for Vegetarian do NOT use chicken broth.
Tips:
- To make the perfect Kusheri, use high-quality ingredients, especially the lentils and rice. Choose brown lentils for their nutty flavor and texture. Medium-grain rice works best in this dish.
- Be sure to soak the lentils for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This will help them cook more evenly and reduce the cooking time.
- When cooking the rice, do not stir it too often. This will make the rice mushy. Instead, let it cook undisturbed until all the water has been absorbed.
- The sauce is an essential component of Kusheri. Make sure to use a good quality tomato sauce and season it with garlic, cumin, and paprika. You can also add some chili powder for a bit of heat.
- When assembling the Kusheri, layer the ingredients in the following order: rice, lentils, sauce, pasta, chickpeas, and fried onions. This will ensure that all the flavors are evenly distributed.
Conclusion:
Kusheri is a delicious and hearty Egyptian dish that is perfect for a quick and easy meal. It is a great way to use up leftover lentils and rice, and it can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it spicy or mild, vegetarian or with meat, Kusheri is a versatile dish that is sure to please everyone at the table.
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