Egyptian Kosheri Rice with Split Peas and Chickpeas

Kosheri is a classic Egyptian street food, made with rice, lentils, and pasta mixed together and topped with a spicy tomato sauce, crispy onions, chickpeas, and a tangy vinegar garlic. It’s a hearty and comforting dish, typically featuring lentils, but here, lentils are subbed with other pulses – chickpeas and split peas. This plant-based dish can be made with pantry staples and is a simple, filling dish that the whole family will enjoy.

This recipe comes to us from USA Pulses.

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Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Garlic Vinegar Dakka Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• 1/2 tsp aleppo powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Kosheri Base:

• 1/2 cup split peas, dried; soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, dried; soaked overnight or canned chickpeas, drained
• 2 cups rice, basmati
• 2 cups pasta, short pasta of choice, gluten-free if desired
• kosher salt

Fried Onions:

• grapeseed oil
• 3 onions, thinly sliced
• kosher salt

Tomato Sauce:

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bird’s eye chili, finely minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• 1 tsp aleppo peppers, crushed
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• nutmeg, freshly ground
• salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

• lemon zest
• lemon, wedges, for a bit of juice
• parsley, flat leaf; roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Make the garlic vinegar dakka sauce by mixing everything together. Set aside.

2. Rinse off the split peas and chickpeas. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Salt generously and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until pulses are tender but still have bite. Drain well.

3. While the pulses are cooking, cook the rice. In a pot, combine the basmati with 2 and half cups of water as well as a generous sprinkling of salt.. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and immediately turn down to low. Cook for 17 minutes, without peeking. Turn the heat off and let sit, with the lid on, for another 10 minutes.

4. While the rice is cooking, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package. Rinse and drain well.

5. While the carbs are cooking, heat up 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are crips and lightly browned (they will continue to brown slightly while out of the oil), about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil, spread out, and drain on paper towels.

6. In a sauce pan, heat up a bit of the onion oil, about 2-4 tablespoons, over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili, cumin, coriander, aleppo and sugar. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and white vinegar and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and season with freshly ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.

7. To serve: build a bowl with the rice, pasta, and pulses. Top with fried onions, tomato sauce, and a sprinkling of dakka. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and flat leaf parsley if desired. Mix everything up and enjoy!