Koshary

Ingredients

• ¾ cup brown lentils
• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1 cup ditalini pasta
• 15 oz canned chickpeas
• 2 large yellow onions
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Steps

1. Rinse lentils and cook in 3 cups of water until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook rice according to package directions. Cook ditalini pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside. Rinse and drain chickpeas.
3. Slice onions thinly. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onions in batches until deeply golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil.
4. For the tomato sauce, mince garlic. In a saucepan, heat the reserved onion oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. For the vinegar sauce (Dakka), combine 2 tablespoons of the reserved onion oil, white vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (if using).
6. To assemble, layer rice, then lentils, then pasta in bowls. Top with chickpeas, a generous spoonful of tomato sauce, and crispy fried onions. Serve with extra tomato sauce and Dakka on the side.