Koshary is pretty much Egypt's staple street food. You can find anything from a 2-story koshary restaurant to a man with a
cart on the side of the street. It has no meat, but even the biggest of carnivores don't miss it. Filling and healthy, come see
Egypt's most famous dish! Instead of French-fried onions, I use my black pepper onion rings on here. I also caramelize
about 4 large onions in butter and brown sugar for about 45 minutes and have both kinds of onion on there. It really
makes it over the top, but a little too much to call it the real street food of Egypt, more like the home-style kind. I hope you
enjoy!
Combine the chickpeas, vinegar, coriander, cayenne pepper, and cumin in a
resealable bag or container with a tight-fitting lid. Store in refrigerator while prepping
remainder of dish, shaking occasionally.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the ditalani pasta in the
boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain and set
aside.
Combine the rice with enough cold water to cover; allow to soak for 20 minutes.
Drain.
Meanwhile, combine the lentils with enough water to cover in a pot; season with salt
and pepper. Bring the lentils to a boil and cook at a boil until tender, about 30
minutes. Drain.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion and
garlic in the hot oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes,
season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, and maintain at a simmer
while preparing remainder of dish.
Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the rice to the butter, increase
heat to high, and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the chicken stock
over the rice; bring to a boil. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper, reduce
heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until rice is tender, and the liquid has been
absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Mix the rice and lentils together on a large serving platter. Spread the cooked ditalani
over the rice and lentil mixture. Serve with the marinated chickpeas, the tomato
sauce, and the French-fried onions as condiments.