Koushari

By Cynthia Mosher, Web Director, Mothering.com

Koushari is a frugal Egyptian dish. With a green salad and crusty bread this makes a wonderful vegetarian meal.

2 cups cooked short grain rice

1 cup cooked elbow macaroni

1 cup of cooked vermicelli

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 cup brown lentils, rinsed

8 oz tomato sauce

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup cooked whole chick peas

1 large onion, thinly sliced

olive oil

Rice, macaroni, and vermicelli should be cooked simultaneously while lentil sauce is being prepared and kept warm until ready to assemble the dish.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large pan.
Saute chopped onion and garlic in oil until tender.
Stir in cumin, allowing it to cook briefly in the oil.
Add rinsed lentils and saute for 1 minute.
Stir in tomato sauce.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fry the thinly sliced onion in enough olive oil to brown it.
On a platter place the cooked rice as the bottom layer, the macaroni as the next layer, followed by the vermicelli on top.
Ladle the lentil sauce over all and top with chickpeas and fried onions.