Eat like an Egyptian

With the dismal news coming from Egypt for the last few days, the people of that country are frequently on my mind. Being, at heart, a researcher, I set out to find out a bit more about those people...about how they live, what they do in their daily lives and - of course - about what they eat.

It seems that a favorite food among those who get meals from the street vendors in the marketplaces is a not so exotic dish that includes both rice and pasta...how can you go wrong with something like that.

Kosherie is a little bit of this and that brought together with a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. Apparently the three main ingredients (the lentils, pasta and rice) are traditionally put separately on the plate, topped with the onions and sauce. Frankly, I found that I like them all mixed together - but you can do whatever tastes best for you. I must admit that it looks nicer when the elements are presented separately.

I  made this as a slight variation on the recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics and some tips from some Egyptian English-language cooking sites. It might be a little anglicized, but not much.

Give it a try and keep the people of Egypt in mind as you eat this.

Kosherie

3/4 cups of green lentils

4 1/2 cups of water

2 1/4 teaspoons of salt

4 cups of chopped tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green chili pepper, chopped

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

1 cup of rice, cooked

4 cups of thinly sliced onions

1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked

Combine the lentils, 3 cups of the water, and ½ teaspoons of the salt in a saucepan and bring it all to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes. If there's any water left, drain it before setting the lentils aside. While the lentils are cooking, put the tomatoes, the garlic, the pepper, a tablespoon of the oil, the vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in your blender and purée the whole lot. Pour this sauce into another saucepan on high heat and boil it, then reduce heat and simmer it all (no need for a lid on this pot). Stir the sauce occasionally at the beginning and more frequently at the end until it's thick (about 20 minutes or so). Warning: this sauce is hot. If you are afraid of spicy foods, reduce the amount of pepper you use or use a milder pepper, While you're waiting on these other two pots, heat about 1/2 an inch of oil in a frying pan over high heat until it's very hot, then add half the onions and fry them stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until they are fragrant and brown. Drain them on a cloth and sprinkle them with a minimum amount of salt. Repeat the process with the rest of the onions. When the sauce is nice and thick, set it aside. When everything is ready to go (make sure your rice and pasta are hot), make piles lentils, rice, and pasta on a platter, top the three things with the browned onions and a drizzle of the sauce. Serve immediately with the remaining sauce on the side. Vegan.