Koshari

This is a delicious and filling store cupboard supper, perfect for using up part packets of pasta and rice. Koshari is an Egyptian street food dish made from rice, lentils and macaroni, topped with crisp onions and spicy tomato sauce.  The ingredients use to make this scrumptious supper came to £1.42, excluding energy costs,  I served it with steamed greens from our garden (free), but you could serve it with 500g steamed mixed vegetables for an extra 47p.

It does take a long time to get the onions really caramelised and tasty, don't rush that step it's well worth taking the time.  The rice, lentils, and macaroni are all cooked separately which might seem a bit of a faff but you can have them all going at the same time, or use a tin of lentils to cut out a step.

Koshari  

3 large onions, diced (30p)

2 cloves of garlic (5p) 

400g tin of chopped tomatoes (28p) 

1 Tblsp tomato purée (2p) 

pinch of chilli flakes, pinch of chilli powder or dash of hot sauce (5p)

1 cup (150g) lentils, rinsed and drained (39p) 

1 cup (200g) rice, rinsed and drained (9p) 

1 tsp ground cumin (2p)

1 tsp ground cinnamon (2p)

1 cup (150g) macaroni (20p)

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions until deep golden, this can take a good 30 - 40 minutes.  Don't rush this step, your dish will be so much more flavoursome if you take the time to get the onions right.  Once the onions are deliciously brown and sticky, put a sieve over a bowl and tip the onions into it, so the deliciously flavoured oil drains into the bowl. 

Heat one teaspoonful of the onion oil in a small pan and crush or mince in a garlic clove.  Cook for a few seconds before adding the tomatoes, tomato purée and chilli.  Fill up the empty tomato tin with water and add this too.  Cook, uncovered, until thickened to a rich sauce. 

Put the lentils in a pan and cover generously with water. Add the other garlic clove, bring to the boil and cook for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain well and set aside. 

Heat the remaining oil from the onions in a saucepan and add the spices. Cook for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the rice. Cook, stirring to coat the rice in the oil and spices, then add one and a half cups of water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, and cook for 10 minutes until cooked through and all the water has been absorbed.  Leave covered for a further 10 minutes whilst you quickly cook the macaroni according to packet instructions. 

Mix the rice with the lentils and macaroni, season to taste.  Top with the rich tomato sauce and the caramelised onions.

2 comments Budgeting Tips, Dairy free, Dinners, Live Below the Line., Meatfree Monday, Pasta, Rice, Vegan, Vegetarian