You must have tasted and cooked several vegan recipes. For those who hate cooking, several vegan dishes can be cooked that don’t take much time and can be prepared with simple ingredients. Almost every part of the world has a distinctive vegan dish, and Egypt is no exception.
Apart from having breathtaking architecture and pyramids, Egypt is also known for its different dishes. One of its national dishes is Koshari. It is topped with chickpeas, onions, and tomato sauce. It is widely-popular street food and is originated during the mid-19th century.
The dish is a combination of Indian and Middle Eastern culinary and Italian foods. It is made from rice, lentils, and macaroni. This dish was brought to Egypt from India during the British occupation of Egypt. Then, Egyptians added flavors to it and named it Koshari. It looks easy to make Koshari, but it takes time to prepare its six different layers.
Let us learn how to make Koshari and the ingredients added to it.
The first layer is prepared with Rice and Vermicelli. To prepare this, you would need 1finely chopped onion, long-grain rice, 3-4tbsp vermicelli, 1tbsp olive oil, and 2 cups of water.
The second layer is of lentil and is made from brown lentil, bay leaf, and 2 cups of water.
The third layer is of pasta and is prepared from elbow macaroni.
The fourth layer is of chickpeas and contains canned chickpeas.
The fifth layer in Koshari is made of tomato sauce. It includes tomato sauce, sugar, chili flakes, coriander powder, vinegar, and garlic cloves.
The last and sixth layer is of Birista (fried onions), which includes onion, cornflour, and oil.
Follow these instructions to prepare Koshari:
Heat oil in a pot and add onion to it. Fry until they turn brown and vermicelli. Stir it occasionally. Wash rice and drain the water. Add rice to the pot and stir it for 3-5 minutes. Cook the rice until it’s done. You can also add salt at this stage.
Soak lentil in warm water and add soaked lentil, bay leaf, and salt to the pot. Drain the excess water. Also, you do not need to throw it as it could be used to cook the rice layer.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook it.
Take the canned chickpeas and warm them in a pot or microwave before serving.
Take a pan and put all the ingredients of the sauce. Stir it for 10-15 minutes and off the flame.
Take a sliced onion and add cornflour to it. Mix well. Now heat the oil and fry the onion until it turns brown.
Take a plate and spread the first layer of rice and vermicelli. Add lentil on the layer, then pasta, and then chickpeas. Now add sauce layer and fried onions to it. Make a dressing with white vinegar, coriander powder, red chili powder, chili flakes, and salt. Pour the dressing over the top and serve Koshari warm.
Koshari can be prepared at home but is usually served on the streets of Egypt. It is low-in-calorie and is full of flavors.
Vegetarian is not just a type of diet, but more of a lifestyle. It’s a healthier choice you make for the people, for the animals, and for a better planet