Egyptian Tomato Sauce Food

KOSHARI (EGYPTIAN RICE, LENTILS AND MACARONI WITH SPICY TOMATO CHILE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and fry it for 2 minutes, then add the vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
• Rinse the lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan with 2 cups of water. Add the garlic, cumin and bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary.Cook the macaroni according to package instructions until al dente.Note: Prepare the rice, macaroni and lentils while the sauce is simmering and leave them covered in the pots to keep warm.
• To make sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Add the tomato sauce, baharat, salt and pepper to taste, chile flakes (if using) and red wine vinegar. Bring it to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• To make the crispy onions, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onions and fry until dark brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to drain and cool.
• Add the rice, lentils and macaroni to a large bowl and toss to combine (or simply scoop out desired amounts of each onto the plates). Sprinkle a little baharat over each portion and serve topped with some of the spicy tomato sauce. Top with garbanzo beans, the crispy onions and another sprinkle of baharat. Serve warm.

KOSHARI RECIPE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the onion rings with salt, then toss them in the flour to coat. Shake off excess flour.
• In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat, cook the onion rings, stirring often, until they turn a nice caramelized brown. Onions must be crispy, but not burned (15-20 minutes).
• In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add the grated onion, cook on medium-high until the onion turns a translucent gold (do not brown). Now add the garlic, coriander, and red pepper flakes, if using, and saute briefly until fragrant (30-45 seconds more).
• Stir in tomato sauce and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens (15 minutes or so).
• Stir in the distilled white vinegar, and turn the heat to low. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Cook the lentils. Bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot or saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until lentils are just tender (15-17 minutes). Drain from water and season with a little salt. (Note: when the lentils are ready, they should not be fully cooked. They should be only par-cooked and still have a bite to them as they need to finish cooking with the rice).
• Now, for the rice. Drain the rice from its soaking water. Combine the par-cooked lentils and the rice in the saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp cooking oil, salt, pepper, and coriander. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add warm water to cover the rice and lentil mixture by about 1 1/2 inches (you'll probably use about 3 cups of water here). Bring to a boil; the water should reduce a bit. Now cover and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and both the rice and lentils are well cooked through (about 20 minutes). Keep covered and undisturbed for 5 minutes or so.
• Now make the pasta. While the rice and lentils are cooking, make the pasta according to package instructions by adding the elbow pasta to boiling water with a dash of salt and a little oil. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain.
• Cover the chickpeas and warm in the microwave briefly before serving.
• To serve, fluff the rice and lentils with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the elbow pasta and 1/2 of the tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally 1/2 of the crispy onions for garnish. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.

KUSHARI - EGYPTIAN RICE, LENTILS, AND PASTA WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Clean the onions, cut them in half, then slice in thin half-circles.
• In a medium pan, heat oil to 350 degrees F. You want just enough oil to cover the onions, about 3 cups.
• Cook onions in oil, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the edges around the pan, that will darken too quickly first.
• When they are golden brown, lift them out with a slotted spoon and spread on a layer of napkins. Keep them spread out so they can stay crispy.
• Keep the onion oil - you'll use it in three other places in the Kushari.
• Simmer lentils in water until they are almost soft, about 20-25 minutes, then drain. You don't want to fully cook them at this point because they will be cooked further with the rice.
• In the same pan, heat 4 tablespoons onion oil. Sauté rice and cumin in oil about 30 seconds then add lentils, broth, salt, and 1 handful of the fried onions, smashed.
• Bring to a boil. After boiling, cover pan with lid, turn heat to low, and cook until rice is done, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, let rest for 10 minutes, then fluff with fork. Keep covered until ready to use. Wrapped in a blanket, the rice will stay warm for several hours.
• Cook the ditalini in salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain.
• Toss with ¼ cup onion oil and salt to taste.
• Cover and keep warm until ready to use. Wrapped in a blanket, the pasta will stay warm for several hours.
• Sauté onion and green pepper in 2 tablespoons of the onion oil until they are soft.
• Add garlic, tomato, vinegar, bouillon cube, and salt to taste. Let simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Keep warm until ready to use.
• Either layer the separate components in a big serving dish or in individual bowls. First a layer of the rice and lentils goes in. Then the pasta, sauce, and finally the fried onions.
• If you are using the optional chickpeas, add them on top of the sauce and before the onions.
• For the optional extra garlic vinegar sauce, see notes.

EGYPTIAN STYLE SPINACH (SABANEK)

Steps:

• Wash spinach well and cut into small sized strips. I usually take a few leaves, and slice together into strips, leave the stem, not problem. (This does not have to perfect, you just want to get them into longer, smaller strips.) Set aside.
• Boil stew meat in water with the two sliced onion and two bouillon cubes. Cook until tender approximately 2 hours.
• Strain out meat and pour broth into a large bowl.
• In that same pot used for cooking meat, add chopped onion, garlic and butter and sauté until soft.
• Add tomato paste, all spices, and stir around until well coated.
• Add pureed tomatoes, ½ cup water and approximately 2-3 cups of broth. (You can add or decrease broth, depending on how thick you'd like it to be, check while cooking and add more or less broth. End result should be thick, but watery enough to be like a thick sauce -- hope that makes sense.).
• Bring to a boil, add spinach and simmer for 20- 30 minutes on low heat.
• Serve in bowls next to plates of rice and browned fideo noodles or with pita bread for scooping.

EGYPTIAN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Saute onions med heat until quite brown.
• add garlic and cook only a little.
• add tomato juice and sugar and cook 15-20mins.
• Add vinegar and seasoning and cook 2 -3 minutes.

EGYPTIAN GREEN BEANS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In 3 qt saucepan, saute onion in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
• Add minced garlic, stir & cook 30 seconds.
• Add green beans, turn heat to high and stir quickly for about 1 minute.
• Add tomato sauce and enough water to almost cover beans.
• Add parsley, cumin, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Cover pot and simmer on medium heat for about 25 minutes.
• If it seems too watery, cook uncovered for 10 minutes. There should be about 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of liquid you started with.

DIM'A MUSABIKA (EGYPTIAN TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large enough pot; add onions.
• Sauté the onions until translucent (about 6 minutes).
• Add garlic; sauté for 2 more minutes.
• Add the can of tomato paste, and sauté, constantly stirring for 3 minutes.
• Add 4 cups water.
• Stir in the vinegar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Slow simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

EGYPTIAN RICE WITH SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the oil & saute the onion but do not let it brown. Add the rice to the pan & cook for 2 minutes or until the rice becomes translucent.
• Place the rice, water, chicken stock, & spices in an ovenproof casserole dish. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Heat the tomato sauce & harissa in a pan, add salt & pepper if needed. Serve the rice mixed with the spicy tomato sauce.

EGYPTIAN FRIED EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO SAUCE - MESA'AH

Steps:

• Wash the eggplant and slice into 1/4" thick disks.
• In a large nonstick frying pan, add enough oil to coat the pan. Set the heat to medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add enough eggplant to just cover the pan. Don't stack the eggplant on top of each other.
• Using a fork, flip the eggplant once it's a golden brown. Cook on the other side.
• Add a paper towel to a plate, and place the fried eggplant onto the towel to soak the extra oil.
• Once the eggplant is all fried, set aside.
• Chop the garlic into very fine pieces.
• In a blender, blend the tomatoes. Strain the tomatoes using a fine mesh strainer.
• Add 1 tbsp of oil to a nonstick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook until medium brown.
• Add the vinegar, blended and strained tomatoes, and whole spicy pepper. Cook on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes to allow all of the flavors to infuse together.
• Add the salt and pepper to taste at the very end.
• Add the fried eggplant into the garlic tomato sauce mixture. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes altogether.
• Serve with fresh pita bread.