That Translator Can Cook: Koshari

Lentils, rice, various pastas (vermicelli, elbows, and shells), and sometimes chickpeas in a savory tomato sauce seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, vinegar, and a special spice blend.

Koshari is many things to Egypt: its national dish, a staple street food, and from what I’ve heard, the ultimate comfort food during quarantine. Apparently, koshari was adapted from mujaddara.

As NPR complains (affectionally, I’m sure) about “those pesky transliterations from Arabic script,” koshari can also be spelled ‘kushari’ or ‘koshari.’ This is a relatively recent recipe: many food historians and Egyptian citizens have never heard or found reference of koshari before the 1950s. Some say that koshari evolved from mujaddara, but some believe otherwise: koshari evolved from kitchari, a popular Indian dish. It is said that the British brought kitchari from one country they were occupying to the other country they were occupying. The pasta is thought to be an Italian influence, but according to Claudia Roden, cookbook writer and cultural anthropologist, "pasta is an Arab thing mentioned in medieval culinary manuscripts."

However koshari came about, there is no doubt that it is a filling and satisfying dish. Lentils and chickpeas not only contain lots of carbs, but they also contain lots of fiber, which makes you feel full longer. You can control how spicy or tangy the tomato sauce, and the dish is already vegetarian and vegan. You can also make it a little bit healthier by using whole-grain pasta instead of white pasta. As we all are in or transitioning into lockdown again, koshari would make a great meal, and if you’ve never made it before, it is an easy recipe to try and kids can easily help.

Here is how to make this hearty dish (recipe and picture belong to Fayzeh Ahmad):

Steps

1. Boil the lentils, and after they're done, add the salt, cumin, black pepper, fried vermicelli, and rice. Stir until they’re completely cooked.

2. Put the tomato, onion, garlic, and tomato paste into a blender; next, heat the mixture in a pot until it bubbles.

3. Boil the pasta.

4. For the dukkah, fry the garlic; add the vinegar, coriander, and water; and stir for a bit.

5. Layer the different components in the following order on a serving platter: lentils and rice, a little bit of sauce, pasta, a little bit of sauce, duqqah, and fried onions.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of lentils

• 1½ cups of rice

• ½ cup of vermicelli

• 1 packet of spaghetti

• 1 packet of elbow macaroni or ditalini

• Salt

• Cumin

Sauce:

• 4 tomatoes

• 1 onion

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

• Salt and black pepper

• 1 spoonful of tomato paste

Dukkah:

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons of vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of ground coriander

• ½ cup of water

• Fried, crispy onions for garnishing

Translators’ Discussion

1. Does anyone know why رب البندورة is used to refer to tomato paste?

2. I dubbed مكرونة طويلة (lit. ‘long pasta’) as spaghetti because that was shown in the picture, but that doesn’t seem like a common koshari ingredient. I dubbed مكرونة قصيرة (lit. ‘short pasta’) as elbow macaroni or ditalini, even though the picture showed cut-up penne, because those are common types of short pasta, and I’ve seen them in other recipes. What kinds of pasta do you prefer to use in your koshari?

3. What spices and seasonings do you prefer to use for your koshari?