Koshari is the national dish of Egypt. Brown rice, thin noodles, and elbow macaroni are combined in a dish, to which a lightly spiced tomato broth is added. We top it with sprouted beans, lentils, and fried onions.

¾ cup brown rice
1 ½ cups water
1 cup elbow macaroni
2 T olive oil
3 T onion, small dice
1 garlic clove
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (Muir Glen is our fave)
½ cup sprouted lentils (or mix of lentils with other small beans)
½ cup sprouted chickpeas
Garnish: ¼ cup onion, thinly sliced + 3 T olive oil

To cook the brown rice: heat up the 1 ½ cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, bring the water back to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover, and simmer until all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

In another large pot cook the elbow macaroni according to the instructions. Drain and reserve.

In a third pot, heat up the olive oil. Gently sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent, then add the garlic. Add the cumin and Aleppo Pepper (or a mild Paprika if you can’t find Aleppo), and stir.
Add the whole peeled tomatoes to the pot, leaving their liquid in the can, and gently break them up with your wooden spoon.
Cook the tomatoes down for about 10 minutes. Blend the sauce with the reserved liquid and then return it to the pot and simmer until it is the right consistency and has a nice flavor. It should not be as thick as tomato sauce.

For the garnish, gently fry the onion in the olive oil until dark and caramelized.
Drain on a plate lined with towel.

To serve, combine the rice and pasta in a bowl. Ladle over some of the tomato sauce, and then top with the sprouted lentils and chickpeas. Top with the fried garlic.

Alternatively, you can place each component on the table and allow the diners to put together their own dish.