kushari/koshary/kosheri/koshari

Ingredient #1: rice (with vermicelli)

Ingredient #2: two types of pasta

Ingredients #3 & 4: lentils & chickpeas

Topping: fried onions

A humble dish from Egypt, kushari was on the top of the "things to eat" list while visiting family.  Like all unofficial national foods (makes me think of pizza and bagels in NYC/NJ), everyone has her own opinion on where the best kushari can be found.  We did our job and tried as many places as our stomachs would allow so we could judge for ourselves.

Condiments: hot sauce, garlic infused vinegar, sea salt

Add to your liking: tangy tomato sauce

First Taste of Kushari - Leftovers "re-fried" at A+Ls

Before the Condiments Are Added

Take-Out Kushari For a Long Bus Ride, Dahab

 So far, we've like all of the kusharis sampled.  We have not yet made this dish at home (I'm a bit intimidated of crisping up onions for the topping).  Luckily, we have been able to find kushari in Riyadh - the campus restaurant serves up a delicious version and we found an Egyptian spot that serves it up as well.  The downside to the Egyptian restaurant is that it is for men only, so we had to get ours for take-out.  Please try to imagine the torture it is to drive home on the busy streets after midnight during Ramadan, stomach crying out from the smell of garlic and spicy sauce floating in the air circulating in the car. 

broccoli and chickpeas

Pasta has always held a special place in my heart. As a youngster experimenting in my parents’ kitchen, I wanted to try something exotic. Something my parents didn’t cook. Definitely not rice. Italian to me was exotic. However, what could a young cook do when instead of basil or parsley there was only fresh coriander in the fridge? And, although I did want to eat something different, it was (and still is) very difficult for me to ingest anything that wasn’t spicy. Well, one doesn’t question and just cooks. I made many a too-spicy marinara sauce in my younger years consisting of chilies, coriander, and tomatoes (home grown in the summertime). I had the opportunity to live in the Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy, for a summer in 1996. The food was unlike any “Italian” food I had up to that point. Everything was simple and fresh. And I never once wished I were eating meat. Today I wanted to make a quick meal utilizing pasta and veggies. The result – broccoli and chickpeas with garlic and dried chilies. Although a bit of a challenge to eat (chickpeas roll around and don’t like to be fork-stabbed), it was all worth it in the end.