Facts About Kushari
Kushari, also koshari, is Egypt’s national dish and a widely popular street food. An Egyptian dish that originated during the mid-19th century, the dish combines Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern culinary elements. Kushari is made of rice, macaroni, and lentils mixed together, topped with a spiced tomato sauce and garlic vinegar and garnished with chickpeas and crispy fried onions and is often served with sprinklings of garlic juice, garlic vinegar and hot sauce are optional.
History
Kushari originated in the mid-19th century, during a time when Egypt was a multicultural country in the middle of an economic boom. It consists of fried onions, lentils, rice, macaroni and lemon sauce. It is somewhat related to Italian cuisine and to an Indian dish made only from rice and lentils, khichdi, but the Egyptian dish has more ingredients and flavors, especially the local Egyptian sauce giving it the unique taste the dish is popular for. Some believe it was first made during the British occupation of Egypt, when Indians and Egyptians were common workers in the houses of the British. It is rumored that they used to boil leftovers from the dinner and that the Egyptians came up with the idea to add tomato sauce to the dish to add more flavor. Over time, the dish has evolved through Egyptian citizens, then Egyptian soldiers. Kushari used to be sold on food carts in its early years, and was introduced to restaurants later.
This dish is widely popular among workers and labourers, and the dish is well-suited to mass catering events such as conferences. It may be prepared at home, and is also served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over Egypt; some restaurants specialize in kushari to the exclusion of other dishes, while others feature it as one item among many. As traditionally prepared kushari does not contain any animal products so it can be considered vegan, as long as all frying uses vegetable oil.
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