I Spent 30 Years Cooking Before Trying Egypt's #1 Street Food Koshari

By Chef Billy Parisi · 60 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Boil the chickpeas first (see the linked recipe); after they boil you have about 90 minutes to make the sauces, tomato sauce and fried onions.
2. Make the Da'ah sauce and, if you like, the Shatta sauce, following their linked recipes.
3. For the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and saute 5 minutes until lightly browned, then lower to low heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until well browned.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook about 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the cumin and pepper flakes.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns rust-coloured.
6. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, rinse the can with about 1/3 cup water and add that to the pot. Cook over low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, then stir in the vinegar. Cover and set aside; reheat before serving if needed.
7. For the fried onions, toss the julienned onions with salt in a bowl, then sprinkle in the flour and toss until coated.
8. Heat the cooking oil in an extra-large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often and scraping the pan, until very dark, well caramelized and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
9. Cook the lentils while the onions fry, then boil the macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse under cool water until near room temperature, toss with the olive oil and cover.
10. For the rice, heat the olive oil in a medium saucier over low to medium heat, toast the vermicelli about 2 minutes until lightly browned, then add the rice and toast 3 to 4 minutes until much of it is milky white.
11. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and cook 12 to 14 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover, fluff with a fork and let stand uncovered 3 to 4 minutes.
12. To serve, put rice on a plate, then add lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce and chickpeas. Drizzle with Da'ah or Shatta and top with the crispy onions.

Summarized from Chef Billy Parisi's video. Watch it for the details.

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GarlicOnionTomatoRiceTomato pastePastaChickpeaLentil