Kosheri – rice, lentils and vermicelli with a Mediterranean soul

Ingredients

• Serves 6-8
• 300 g (1 1/2 cups) puy or green lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• 200 g (7 ounces or 1 very full cup) basmati rice, washed if necessary **
• 40 g (3 tablespoons) butter
• 50 g (1 3/4 ounces) vermicelli or angel hair pasta broken into 2 inch pieces
• 400 ml (1 3/4 cups) water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 large onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• For the Tomato Sauce:
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 birds eye chilis or another hot chili, seeded and finely diced
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 28-ounce (794g or large) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 370 mls (1 1/2 cups) water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Garnishes:
• Chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1 cup chickpeas, canned are fine, rinsed and drained
• **I have read, and my experience confirms it, that as a general rule you wash imported basmati rice before cooking but not the boxed, domestic brands. The imported rice still has a lot of starch clinging to it which will make it gummy and sticky if not rinsed off, the domestic brands are well cleaned and dried before packaging.
• To wash rice, put the measured amount in a bowl, cover with cold tap water and swish it around with your fingers until the water turns cloudy. Drain and repeat this process until the water is clear - 3 to 5 times, depending on the rice. After the last wash and drain, leave the rice in the sieve for several minutes to “dry” before proceeding with the recipe.

Instructions

1. To cook the tomato sauce:
2. Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and diced chilis and sauté 1 minute. Add the whole cloves and spices and cook another minute until the spices are fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning; adjust for salt and pepper. (The tomato sauce can kept warm or made ahead,refrigerated and reheated)
3. To cook the onions:
4. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Toss the onions in the oil to coat, then cook over medium-low heat, until they are brown and caramelised. While the onions are cooking, stir occasionally, scraping up any sticky bits that form on the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the onions from cooking to quickly or burning. Cooking the onions can take anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes.
5. To cook the lentils:
6. Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Transfer the lentils to a pot and add the bay leaves, cover with plenty of cold water (at least 4 times their volume), bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. The lentils should be tender, but still intact. Drain and set aside.
7. To cook the vermicelli and the rice:
8. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, add the raw vermicelli. Cook, stirring constantly, until the the pasta turns golden brown. Add the rice, nutmeg and cinnamon; mix with the vermicelli to coat the rice evenly with butter and continue cooking about 1 minute to bring out the flavour of the spices. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover with a lid and cook 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, place a folded kitchen towel over the top of the pot and return the lid. Leave the rice to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. (The towel absorbs the steam coming off the rice so it can finish cooking without extra moisture dripping back on to the grains- this makes it nice and fluffy)
9. Fluff the rice with a fork, add the lentils and most of the onions. Keep some for garnish. Serve hot or at room temperature with the tomato sauce and chickpeas and parsley or coriander for garnish.