Koshari

Koshari is Egypt's national dish. It is an interesting recipe as it includes both pasta and rice. But I enjoyed it very much.

I want to thank my Egyptian friend Hadeer for cooking Koshari for me and sharing her recipe. 

Note: This recipe is for 4 people

 Ingredients

For the rice pilaf

• 3 cups of rice
• 2 cups of green lentil
• 1 tablespoon noodle
• Salt

For the hot Sauce

• 4 tomatoes (preferably soft)
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper paste
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• Coriander
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red pepper
• Cumin

For the Oil

• 1 cup of sunflower oil
• 1 big onion
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon starch

Extras

• 1 cup of boiled chickpeas
• 1 pack of Macaroni or any kind of pasta
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• Coriander
• Salt
• Cumin

Preparation

Slice onions very thinly then suck the extra water with a paper towel, add flour and starch and mix them well.

In the mean time put lentils in water for 10 minutes and wash the rice.

Fry onions until they become golden and take out the onions, as you will use this oil for the whole meal.

Put aside the fried oil. Take a big pan to make the rice pilaf. Add some oil from the pan and fry noodles, after they turn into golden add washed rice and lentils. After coking them couple of minutes, add warm water and salt, close the lid and cook in low heat, until it sucks all the water.

In the meantime, boil macaroni and leave it to drain. Also boil chickpeas couple of minutes, so that they get warm.

To prepare the sauce take a small pan and add oil and some crushed garlic and all the spices except salt.

Add tomato and pepper paste and cook couple of more minutes. Peel tomatoes and put them in the food processer. It should be in the liquid form. Add liquid tomatoes to the sauce.

Lastly add some salt and cook the sauce on low heat until it gets thick.

To prepare some extra sauce; mix crushed garlic, salt, coriander, cumin, water and vinegar.

To serve the dish, first put the rice pilaf, then macaroni, hot sauce, chickpeas and fried onions. Serve the extra sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Mutancana

Ingredients

• 200 gr lamb or beef
• 50 gr shallots
• 20 gr almonds
• 20 gr raisins
• 20 gr dried figs
• 20 gr dried apricots
• 20 gr prunes
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 dessert spoon honey
• 2 tbs vinegar
• Water
• Salt
• Oregano
• Sumac to decorate

Preparation

Take a large pan or pot, put the butter into it and heat, then add chopped lamb or beef (the original recipe requires lamb, but I prefer beef), stir fry until the meat changes colour. Then add shallots and cook couple of minutes more. Add lukewarm water and vinegar, cook on low heat about 45 minutes if you use lamb and 1.5 to 2 hours if you use beef.

In the mean time  chop dried fruits and boil almonds. 

Add raisins, prunes, honey and salt to the meat and cook 5 more minutes. 

In a seperate pan stir-fry peeled almonds, dried figs and apricots with some butter couple of minutes. 

Lastly add the almond mix to the meat and sprinkle some oragano and cook 5 more minutes. 

You can serve with rice pilaf. Enjoy!

Power Bars

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 1/4 cup of almonds
• 1/4 cup of hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1/4 cup of dried mulberries
• 9-10 dried figs
• 9-10 dates
• 1 tblsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tbsp sesamme seeds
• Sea salt (optional)

Preparation

Firstly, put nuts in a blender and crush. Be careful not to make nut butter, couple of minutes is sufficient. Cut fruits in small pieces and add to the blender, blend until you have a dough texture.You can use any type of nuts, fruits and seeds,  I just used what I have at home. Put the dough in a bowl, add seeds and salt and knead. Wrap the dough in a plastic film and roll. You can use prchement paper as well. If you do not cover the dough, it will stick to the roller. 

Bake it in 200 F around 3 hours. You can cut into pieces after or before you bake them.

Enjoy!

Quince with Olive Oil

 Ingredients

• 2 Quinces
• 5-6 small or 1 big potato
• 6-8 shallots
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 3-5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• lemon juice
• Salt
• Sugar (optional)
• Water
• Dill to decorate

Preparation

Cut quinces in half and keep them in lemon water about 30 minutes. Then boil water, some sugar and the seeds of the quinces in a pot. After it boils put quinces in it and cook until they get soft and change colour. In a pan roast garlic and shallots with olive oil, then add chopped carrots and stir fry couple of minutes. If you have small potatoes, put them whole, if not chop them and add to the pan, lastly add peas and stir fry couple of more minutes. Add salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Cook until vegetables get soft. 

Take quinces in a wide pot and add vegetable mix on top of them, add remaining water, cover, and cook about about 10 minutes. Serve with fresh dill. Enjoy!