Vegan Egyptian Koshari#EattheWorld

Egyptian Koshari is comfort meal of lentils, rice, chickpeas, with a topping  tomato sauce and  browned crispy onions! 
Koshari  is also spelled as, "Kushari",  it's a national dish of Egypt. Koshari is street food  and is  more or less like our Khichdi, which is supposed to have been taken  to Egypt in the late 19th century, during British occupation of both countries. This also similar to the Mujaddara, a classic rice-brown lentils dish.

Although this recipe takes a little extra time to put together, each element is simple to make and has to assembled just before serving.

This Koshari is a real comfort food , so satisfying, am, sure you will make it more often!

Ingredients 
For the Koshari 
1/2 Cup Brown Lentils / Puy Lentils / Sabut Masoor
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1 Cup Small Elbow Macaroni
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper powder
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Cup Boiled Chickpeas
1 Cup Fried Onions
2 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
For the Sauce 
1 Teaspoon Garlic - minced
1 Cup Home made Tomato sauce
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Vinegar or to taste
1 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Paprika powder


MethodFor the Sauce

In a saucepan, heat a tablespoons of oil, add garlic when the garlic releases an aroma, add the onion saute till soft and translucent, stir in tomato sauce, cumin and paprika powder and saute for few seconds. Add, sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens. Stir in the white vinegar,give it a good stir. Take off flame, cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the Koshari

To cook the Brown Lentils
Put lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups water in a large pot/ pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer lentils until done and not mushy. Drain lentils and set aside. Rinse the pot / pan .To cook the rice 

In the same pot /pan , heat a oil, add rice, cinnamon stick saute for a minute add 2 cups of water, salt, pepper, cumin and coriander powder. Bring the water to a rolling boil then to cover the pan and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through (about 15 - 20 minutes). Add the cook lentils on top and Keep covered and undisturbed for 5 minutes or so. Now combine the lentils and the rice - fluff with a fork. Set aside.

To make the pasta 

Cook the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a dash of salt cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain.

Cover the chickpeas and warm it in the microwave just before serving.

To serve it 

Place the rice and lentils to a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and a tablespoon or two of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally a sprinkle of the fried onions for garnish. Serve, Keep the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately in bowls, to add more if required.

Enjoy this delicious and filling meal.

Join us as we Eat the World!!!


Each month Evelyne of CulturEatz invites us to visit a country and explore their foods. This month it's Eygpt.

Check out all the wonderful  Egyptian recipes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!


Labels : Rice, Vegan, Lentils, Chickpeas, Tomato Sauce, Eygpt

Check out all the wonderful Egyptian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Lahma Bil Basal (Egyptian Beef in Onion Sauce) PalatablePastimeBedouin Stuffed Grape Leaves
Sneha's Recipe:Vegan Egyptian Koshari# Eat the World
Literature and Limes: Taameyya
Pandemonium Noshery: Ful Medames
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Ghorayebah Cookies
The Gingered Whisk: Basbousa Cake Recipe
Margaret @ Kitchen Frau: Egyptian Fava Beans and Feta
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Koshary

Makaronah Bil Beshemel - Baked Bechamel Pasta - Egypt

Makaronah Bil Beshemel is  easy to prepare, baked pasta dish.  This is a one dish meal, we enjoyed it with a bowl of soup or  you can have it with  salad.  This is an healthy and delicious dish which has no cheese, yet taste divine.  

Quick and easy to make, have all the ingredients ready and  this dish is ready in minutes.  Here, I, have used Bezar spice, which is an arabic spice and goes very well with this dish, this spice mix has an awesome taste and flavor.

Serves 2 
Ingredients
1 Cup Heaped Macaroni  Pasta
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Bezar Spice Mix  - see recipe
1  Onion - chopped
200 Grams  Boneless Chicken - finely cubed 
Salt to taste
1.1/2 Cups Thick Bechamel sauce - see recipe 

Method

Cook pasta in 5 cups or waters as per the packet instruction or till al dente.  Drain and add a teaspoon of warm oil and toss it, keep aside.

While pasta cooks, we prepare the chicken layer.

Heat oil in a frying pan, add onions and saute till onions are translucent.  Then add the chicken and saute till it turn pink to white then add the bezar spice and saute  for 2 to 3 minutes, cover and cook  till the chicken is done.  Open the lid and evaporate all the moisture or till the mixture is dry. Keep aside to cool.

In the meantime preheat the oven  at 200 degrees.

Butter a casserole dish well,

Spread 2 tablespoons of bechamel sauce  

Now spread half of pasta 

Spread layer of  chicken mixture

Top with remaining pasta

Pour the  bechamel sauce evenly on to dish. Sprinkle a little   bezar spice and place it in oven till it browns on top .

See the layers.. looks too tempting.. na.

Cool it a little and cut slices of this  rich dish,  enjoy with soup or salad of your choice. 

My Notes 

You can use any pasta of your choice.
Can use lamb or beef mince for the filling too.

Bezar spice is an Arabic spice and has a flavorful taste, try this spice you will love it.

Labels : Bechamel sauce, Bezar spice , Chicken, Mena cooking club, Pasta & Noodles, Healthy, Egypt

BASBOUSA - EGYPTIAN SEMOLINA CAKE #FOODIEEXTRAVAGANZA

Basbousa - Semolina Cake is a famous Egyptian and traditional Middle Eastern syrup soaked sweet cake. The cake itself is not too sweet but it is soaked with a sugar syrup, here I have reduced the sugar quantity and used honey.  This is a superb tea cake and will make an excellent dessert dish too.

Very simple and quick to make, with ingredients that are always available in the pantry.

Ingredients

100 Grams Butter
150 Grams Icing Sugar
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
2 Cups Fine Semolina
1/2 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
1 Cup Yogurt
Skinned Almonds as required

For the Sugar Syrup
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Method

Sieve the icing sugar. 

Sieve the semolina and baking powder and baking soda together.


Beat the butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy,  then add an egg at a time beating it well before incorporating the next one.  Add the vanilla essence , keep adding the sieve semolina little by little simultaneously adding little yogurt too and continue beating till all the semolina and yogurt is incorporated. 

Pour it into a greased and  lined baking tray top just draw line lightly into squares or diamonds and then place each slice with almonds and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. 

 
As the cake is being baked make the sugar syrup and mixing it together and keeping it on low flame till the sugar melts only. Take off flame and cool the syrup.

When the cake is out of the oven slice the cake in the tray itself. Pour  the hot cake. Keep it  to rest at least  for an hour then only remove the pieces from the tray. 

Have this cake as a dessert or like we had it with a hot cup of tea or coffee.... Enjoy...

Labels : Cakes, Semolina, Yogurt, Eygpt, Foodie Extravaganza Party

 

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. We take turns hosting and this month it's Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE. December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day and Lauren challenged us to bake with, cook with, or make a beverage with maple syrup. (For some international bloggers who can't find maple syrup, they'll be joining the fun with honey as a substitute.) And don't forget to check out all these other maply recipes:

Basbousa - Egyptian Semolina Cake from Sneha of Sneha's Recipe
Bangin' Breakfast Potatoes from Rebekah of Making Miracles
Gluten-Free Maple Chestnut Cookies from Caroline of Caroline's Cooking
Maple Pecan Bars from Nichole of Cookaholic Wife
Maple Sugar Cookies from Sue of Palatable Pastime
Maple Walnut Vinaigrette from Tara of Tara's Multicultural Table
Momiji Tempura from Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Overnight French Toast Casserole from Elaine of Cookin and Craftin
Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots from Wendy of A Day in the Life of the Farm
Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast from Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook
The Back Forty Cocktail from Stacy of Food Lust People Love

Egyptian Rice With Vermicelli / Ruz Bil Shaareya

Egyptian Rice With Vermicelli in Arabic, is called Ruz Bil Shaareya, this is simple yet tasty and rich, goes well with a lamb, chicken or egg dish.

Ingredients 

1/2 Cup Roasted Fine Vermicelli
1/4 Cup Olive oil
1 Cup  Rice
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
2 Cups + 1 Cup Chicken Stock
Salt to taste
Coriander for Garnishing
1 Tablespoon Butter

Method 

Boil the rice in 2 cups of chicken stock and salt to taste. The rice should be 80% cooked. Keep aside.

In a wide pan or kadai, saute onion in oil till translucent, and then add the vermicelli and lightly fry it then add the 1 cup chicken stock and bring it to a boil then add the rice and give it a quick stir. Reduce the flame and cover and cook till rice is full done and all moisture is evaporated. Add the butter and loosen the rice. 

Remove on to platter and serve garnished with chopped coriander and any saucy dish of your choice. I served this with Egg Jalfrezi and it tasted awesome.

Labels : Rice, Vermicelli, Eygpt
Check  Egg Jalfrezi recipe here

Hummus (Bi Tahini) - Homemade

Hummus or houmous, is a food dip or spread that includes chickpeas, sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. "Hummus" in Arabic  means "chickpeas". Its origins are unknown, and it is popular in the Middle East, Turkey, Eygpt, Lebanon and North Africa. This is a Eygptian style Hummus.

In week 3 - day 12, for the marathon the theme is Condiment from Countries, wherein we have to choose condiments, sauces, spreads or seasonings.

Hummus (Bi Tahini) is hummus with sesame paste.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Tahini paste - homemade - see recipe below
2 Cups Chickpeas - boiled
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika powder
2 -3 Cloves Garlic - chopped finely
2 Tablespoons Water or Yogurt - I used water - see notes
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Method

Tahini paste is expensive, but its easier to make it at home and very cost effective too.

Just roast one fourth cup of sesame on the tava, do not let it turn brown, just lightly till is emits an aroma, cool it and grind it with olive oil till you achieve a smooth paste.

Place the boiled and chickpeas in a grinder (reserve a few for garnishing purposes), then add the rest of the ingredients. Grind everything together until it becomes a smooth paste. Taste and adjust flavors according to your taste, some people prefer More - tahini, or lemon, or garlic or chilly, add what you feel you like according to your taste . The Hummus is ready. 

Serve with sprinkled red pepper flakes or paprika on top. Drizzle olive oil on it. Garnish with boiled chickpeas. Enjoy this Hummus.... healthy, tasty with pita bread or as.. we have it on a bread toast too. It taste yummy. 

My Notes :

You can use canned chickpeas too, but make sure u rinse the chickpeas well of all the brine then in fresh water.

I used the water in which the chickpeas were boiled.

Labels : Sesame seeds, Chickpea,Homemade, Chutneys & Dips, Eygpt, Blogging Marathon, Continental Cuisine

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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