Cairo Shop-Style Koshari with Shatta

Method

1. The night before, rinse the chickpeas and soak them in three times their volume of cold water for at least 8 hours. Rinse, put them in a 18 cm pot with the fresh water and bay leaves and bring to the boil on high heat. Skim off the foam, lower to medium-low heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 50 min. Press one chickpea between tongue and palate: it should collapse into a creamy paste. Undercooked chickpeas are hard to digest, so cook them all the way. Add the salt in the last 5 minutes and keep them warm in their liquid.

   Add in this stepDried chickpeas 60 gWater for the chickpeas 1,000 mlBay leaves 1Salt ¼ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones, then put them in a 18 cm pot with the water, bring to the boil on high heat, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 min. When they squash easily between your fingers but keep their shape, add the salt and drain.

   Add in this stepBrown lentils (or green) 75 gWater for the lentils 750 mlSalt ¼ tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

3. Slice the onions evenly 3 mm thick, pat them very dry, toss with the cornflour and shake off the excess; the starch soaks up the last moisture and keeps them crisp for longer. Heat the oil in a dry 20 cm pan on medium-high heat to 170 °C (a slice of onion should fizz hard straight away), add the onions, turn down to medium heat and fry for 10 min. If the pan is crowded, fry in two batches so the oil stays hot. Lift them out when deep amber, spread on paper towels, and strain the oil. Keep anything wet away from the hot oil and turn the handle inwards.

   Add in this stepOnions (medium) 2Cornflour (cornstarch) 1½ tbspVegetable oil for frying 250 ml

   medium-high heat→medium heat

4. Put the dry sauce pan (18 cm) on medium heat and toast the cumin and coriander seeds for 1 min 30 sec, until fragrant and a shade darker, then grind them finely in a mortar or grinder. In the same pan, heat onion oil, fry half the minced garlic for 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until it darkens to brick red, which brings out its sweetness. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, vinegar and half the ground spices, lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 18 min, stirring now and then, until glossy and thick enough to hold a spoon trail. Keep the rest of the spices.

   Add in this stepCumin seeds 2 tspCoriander seeds ¾ tspOnion-frying oil (strained in step 3) 0.6 tbspGarlic cloves 3Tomato paste 1½ tbspCrushed canned tomatoes or grated ripe tomatoes 250 gSugar ½ tspSalt 0.4 tspWhite vinegar 1¼ tbsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

5. Wash the rice until the water runs clear and drain. Heat onion oil in a 18 cm pot on medium heat and fry the vermicelli for 3 min, stirring constantly, until deep golden. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, then add the cooked lentils, the remaining spices (keep back a pinch for the daqqa), the salt and the hot stock. When it boils, lower to low heat, cover and cook for 15 min, then turn off the heat, rest for 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.

   Add in this stepOnion-frying oil (strained in step 3) 1¼ tbspVermicelli, broken into 2–3 cm pieces 30 gWhite rice (medium- or short-grain) 100 gHot vegetable stock 200 mlSalt ½ tsp

   medium heat→low heat

6. Bring the water to a rolling boil in a 20 cm pot on high heat, add the salt and macaroni and cook for 9 min. When soft with no hard core, drain and toss with onion oil.

   Add in this stepWater for the macaroni 1½ LSalt ½ tspShort macaroni 80 gOnion-frying oil (strained in step 3) 0.6 tbsp

   high heat

7. Make the shatta (hot chilli oil): put the chilli flakes and half the remaining garlic, finely minced, in a heatproof bowl. Warm onion oil in a small pan on medium heat for 1 min until it shimmers, then pour it over; it will sizzle and smell wonderful. Stir in a little of the vinegar and a pinch of salt. For the daqqa, pound the rest of the garlic and mix with the remaining vinegar, the lemon juice, water and the reserved pinch of spice.

   Add in this stepChilli flakes 1 tspGarlic cloves 3Onion-frying oil (strained in step 3) 0.6 tbspWhite vinegar 2¾ tbspLemon juice 1½ tbspWater (for the daqqa) 3 tbspSalt ⅛ tsp

   medium heat

8. Drain the chickpeas and remove the bay leaves. Layer lentil rice and macaroni in bowls, ladle over plenty of tomato sauce and pile on chickpeas and crispy onions. Serve the daqqa and shatta on the side; shatta is very hot, so start with half a spoonful.