Egyptian Koshari
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked elbow or shell pasta
3 cups cooked brown lentils
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen, chopped spinach
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
4 tomato paste cans water
1/4 cup sugar or substitute
1/4 cup vinegar
8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons cayenne, or to taste
French fried onions, as topping
1. Cook rice, pasta, and lentils, then mix with frozen spinach.
2. Except for french fried onion rings, simmer the other ingredients together to make the sauce.
3. Mix the sauce with the rice, pasta, lentil, and spinach mixture, place in serving dish, and top with French fried onions.
If you want it very hot, you could warm it in the oven before putting the onions on top.
Source of recipe: I based this recipe on an Egyptian friend's family recipe (no measurements given) and added a couple of seasonings I saw in online versions. Although it is not traditional to add veggies, I wanted something green in it and so added the spinach as a test, and it worked.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I've been tinkering some more with this recipe, and I've switched from adding spinach to adding lots of chopped onion and bell pepper. I love it this way! Also, I've found that it is easier to use crushed tomatoes than it is to use tomato paste and water. But either way will work. Glad you guys like this recipe!
I omitted the spinach (I'm not a spinach person), but it was still so tasty! Everyone I've made it for has asked for the recipe.
Its flippin' fantastic! I can't quit eating it. NOM NOM NOM
I am making this right now. I grabbed the tomato pesto flavored tomato paste (non vegan grrrrr >:() on accident at the store dang it. I am using it anyway because it is 30 minutes to the store to exchange it and I don't want to do that, and I am not strictly vegan anyway. I hope it doesn't ruin the taste because I am really excited about this!
Wow - thanks for the recipe. I ate this in Egypt and it was delicious. Everyone commented on how good it was.