Kushari

ushari is the most popular street food in Egypt. It has its origins in the Copts sect, which existed in Egypt before the Arabs arrived. Fasting for 200 days a year, the Copts go vegan for 60 of those days, and this is a staple. I love this stuff.

Here's the list of ingredients:

• 1 quarter cup of brown rice
• 1 quarter cup of green lentils
• 1 quarter cup of elbow macaroni
• A cup of vegetable stock and a big pot full of boiling water (for the macaroni)
• Some good tomato sauce

Add the lentils and rice together with the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, cover, and let it simmer for a half hour or until the liquid is gone and the lentils are soft. Just before that is finished, cook the macaroni in a separate pot, until al dente. Heat your sauce in the microwave or in another pot, if you like.

When everything is cooked, ladle the rice and lentils into a bowl, and put the macaroni on top. Cover everything with the tomato sauce. Voila, you are done.

In Egypt, this is traditionally served with fried onions on top, as a garnish. Since the tomato sauce I use has a lot of onion in it, I have left them out. It is up to you.

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