Koshari: Egyptian lentils, rice and pasta with spiced tomato sauce

Egypt's beloved street food: layers of rice, lentils and macaroni topped with a tangy spiced tomato sauce, chickpeas and crispy onions. Everyone builds their own bowl, so it's a great one for fussy eaters.

Ingredients

• 3 Onions, thinly sliced
• 100 ml Vegetable oil
• 200 g Green lentils, rinsed
• 200 g Basmati rice, rinsed
• 4 g Salt
• 200 g Macaroni
• 400 g Chickpeas, 1 tin, drained
• 0.3 Garlic, 3 cloves, crushed
• 4 g Ground cumin
• 2 g Ground coriander
• 15 g Tomato purée
• 800 g Chopped tomatoes, 2 tins
• 5 g Caster sugar
• 4 g Salt
• 20 ml White wine vinegar
• 1 g Dried chilli flakes, added after a mild portion is taken out
• 30 ml White wine vinegar
• 0.1 Garlic, 1 clove, crushed
• 1 g Ground cumin

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan and fry the onions over a medium-high heat, stirring often and turning the heat down as they darken, until deep brown and crisp. Lift out onto kitchen paper and keep the oil.
2. Meanwhile, simmer the lentils in plenty of water until tender, then drain.
3. Boil the macaroni in salted water until tender, then drain.
4. Heat a tablespoon of the onion oil in a pan, stir in the rice, then add 300ml water and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on a low heat, then leave to steam off the heat.
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of the onion oil in a pan and fry the garlic for a minute. Stir in the cumin, coriander and tomato purée, then the tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer until thickened, then stir in the vinegar. Spoon out a mild portion if needed, then stir in the chilli flakes.
6. Mix the vinegar, garlic and cumin with 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt.
7. Warm the chickpeas in a small pan with a splash of water and a pinch of salt.
8. Mix the rice and lentils together. Everyone builds their own bowl: rice and lentils, then macaroni, a ladle of tomato sauce, chickpeas and a pile of crispy onions, with a drizzle of garlic vinegar for anyone who likes it sharp.