Egyptian Lentils & Pasta. A common meal in Egypt. Such a tasty, interesting meal. Lots of carbs to fill you up.
Egyptian Lentils and Pasta. Rice, Pasta. Hot sauce. Caramelized onions. Such a delight.
Egyptian Lentils & Pasta
I was looking for something tasty and vegetarian tonight for dinner. I found this traditional Middle Eastern dish in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, one of my favorite cookbooks. It is a meal that is found everywhere in Egypt. My sister is married to an Egyptian and she told me that her husband makes a very similar dish and everyone in the family loves it.
This recipe does take a bit of work, but it is surely worth it. The combination of pasta, rice, caramelized onions and the sauce is stupendous. In the U.S. we would generally not pair pasta with rice, but it's really delicious.
Egyptian Lentils & Pasta with Rice Recipe
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
Lentils
- ¾ cup lentils
- 3 cups of water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Hot Sauce
- 4 cups coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 fresh green chile (chopped, or use about ¼ cup canned, chopped jalapeño)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Rice
- 1 cup brown rice or white basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Toasted Onions
- Canola oil
- 4 cups thinly sliced small onions
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Pasta
- 1 ½ quarts salted water
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni (or whatever kind you like)
Instructions
Lentils
- Put the lentils, water and salt in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, simmering the lentils until tender (about 40 minutes). Drain.
Hot Sauce
- While the lentils are cooking, puree the tomatoes, garlic, chile, oil, vinegar and salt in a blender or food processor.
- Transfer this mixture to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 20-25 minutes.
Rice
- If you are using brown rice, put this on to cook at the same time you are beginning to cook the lentils as they take about the same amount of time. White rice only takes about 15 minutes to cook.
- Put the water, rice and salt in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and cook until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes for brown rice or 15-20 minutes for white rice.
Toasted Onions
- In a medium frying pan, place about ½ inch of oil and heat it on high until it is very hot.
- Cook the onions in batches so they brown easier, stirring often, until the onions are quite brown, but not burned, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the fried onions on a paper towel.
- Sprinkle the onions with salt.
Pasta
- Boil the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10-15 minutes, and drain.
To Serve
- Put a small mound of lentils, rice and pasta (side by side) on the plate. Sprinkle with fried onions and top with hot sauce. Serve immediately.
You May Also Like These Recipes
- Ayman's Egyptian Rice
- Brown Rice Salad with Canberries
- Lentil Rice Stuffed Roasted Eggplant
- Savory Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash Rice Salad
- Tarragon Rice Pilaf
- Lemon Rice
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.