Koshari: The Khichdi of Egypt!
April 2, 2020
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Koshari is the pride and joy of Egyptian cuisine, a chaotic yet delicious concoction celebrated by almost all Egyptians as their national dish. It is a staple rice dish, prepared at home and is also popularly served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over Egypt.
The history of Koshari is actually derived from the Hindu “Khichri”, which refers to a dish of lentils and rice. Khichri was brought to Egypt, when it was a British protectorate, by Indian soldiers fighting alongside the imperial forces. It was nostalgic for the indian soldiers, and satisfied their need for a heavy carb meal. The people of Egypt welcomed the dish with open arms and maintained the rustic simplicity of Khichri, which can vary from dry and hearty to creamy and porridge-like.
In Hindi, Gujarati and other Indian languages, it broadly translates as “something that is all mixed up”. With the change in the region and culture, Egypt also has varieties of Koshari – that includes boiled eggs, beef, chicken or flaked fish.
Here is a vegetarian recipe for Koshari. At first glance it looks like a complex and hard-to-cook layered recipe of mixed spices, veggies, lentils and pasta. But then the first spoonful of Koshari engulfs you in it’s tangy, crunchy fragrant embrace. It’s a melody of sense tingling experience in a spoonful.
Ingredients:
For Spice Mix:
– 1 tbsp Cumin Seed Powder
– 1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder
– 1 tbsp Paprika Powder
– 1 tbsp Dried Methi (Fenugreek Leaves)
– 1 tbsp ground Black Pepper
For Gravy:
– 3 Puréed Tomatoes
– 4-5 Garlic Cloves (Finely chopped)
– 1 Onion (Finely chopped)
– 3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
– Salt to taste
For Koshari base
– 2 cups Basmati Rice (soaked)
– 1/2 cup Macaroni Pasta
– 1/2 cup Masoor (boiled) (Whole Red Lentil)
– 1/2 cup Chickpeas (boiled)
– 1/2 cup Sweet Corn (boiled)
– 1/2 cup Fried Onions
– 2 cups water
Serving: 3-4 people
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method:
● Mix all the spices in a small bowl and keep it aside to use it in the gravy and rice.
● For the gravy, use the same pan and add oil. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent. Add the tomato puree, let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Tomato Ketchup, 1 spoon spice mix and salt to taste.
● Cook the gravy for 7-8 minutes on medium to low flame until it thickens. Remove the gravy from the pan, into another utensil/container.
● For the Koshari base, again use the same pan – add rice, macaroni pasta, salt, the remaining spice mix, and water. Cover the rice and let it boil for 5 minutes on medium flame until the rice and macaroni get cooked – breaking apart the grains of rice.
How to Assemble:
● Add the first layer of cooked rice and macaroni over a plate.
● On top of it, add the chickpeas, masoor and sweet corn.
● Add the tomato gravy on top of the layers in a way that all layers are visible.
● Garnish with fried onions and enjoy!
How To Serve:
Start assembling the dish when it is time to serve. Make sure the gravy and base are fresh and warm until the time of assembling. Best eaten while hot.
Enjoy!
About Author
Raveena Gohil is a young woman entrepreneur in the food industry. She has her own manufacturing facility for masala that can be used to make North Indian food and whole wheat cake mixes.
So delicious