This super easy-to-make Koshari recipe pairs perfectly with City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. It is a vegan Egyptian street food that you can make at home to really taste the flavors of this amazing fantasy book.
One of my favorite things to do when I am reading is to try and notice the food inspirations within the book. Other than reading, I love to cook. Trying new recipes is always so much fun for me, and I decided to do a full reading and recipes series where I try to recreate recipes inspired by some of my favorite books!
Koshari Recipe Inspired by City of Brass
The first recipe that I worked to recreate is this super simple Koshari recipe inspired by City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty. While this particular dish is not mentioned in the book, vegan food is mentioned multiple times, as is Egyptian street food. So what better first dish than a vegan Egyptian street food recipe!
What is Koshari?
First and foremost, you may be asking “what is Koshari?”. When doing research for this recipe and booktube video, I found that Koshari is a popular vegan streetfood dish in Egypt.
It is made with pasta, chickpeas, a vinegar-based tomato sauce, and crunchy fried onions. This is a super simple recipe. Easy to make but packed with flavor.
City of Brass Connection
City of Brass has become one of my favorite first books in a fantasy series this year. It is a rich Middle Eastern inspired fantasy world. This book is filled with magic, politics, and a tiny bit of fantasy romance, but nothing too over the top or focus stealing.
In this book, we follow Nahri, a poor street performer and thief just trying to survive on the streets of Cairo. During a con, she accidentally summons a Djin, who then whisks her away on a dangerous journey to the city of Devabad. There, she meets a prince and starts to learn more about her own mysterious heritage.
During her travels and time in Devabad, Nahri speaks at length about the food in Cairo. She mentions missing her favorite dishes when she is in the mythical city. And so Koshari is a very popular street food in that area, I like to think it is a dish that she would absolutely adore.
If you haven’t read this one yet, I highly recommend you pick it up. It is one of my personal favorite female-authored adult fantasy books.
How to Make Koshari
If you are ready to make Koshari yourself, all you need are a few easy ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry at home, such as:
- Rice
- Tomato Sauce
- Onion
- Garlic
- White Vinegar
- Lentils ( I actually left these out because I could not find any at my grocery store.)
- Chickpeas
- Macaroni Noodles
- Crispy Onions
Honestly, this recipe is so simple, which is a big part of why I loved it so much. Make sure you grab the printable Koshari recipe below and let me know what you think when you make it for yourself at home!
Koshari is best-served buffet style. Make all the parts and leave them separate. Everyone can add as much, or as little, as they want! Top with your crispy onions at the end and you are in for a delicious vegan treat!
Koshari Egyptian Street Food
Ingredients
Method
- Cook your rice any way you prefer and set aside. I used a rice cooker.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, cook your onions and garlic with a little oil or butter until they start to brown.
- Mix in the cumin, coriander, chili flakes (optional), and salt to taste
- Reduce heat and mix in your tomato sauce and vinegar. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Make your macaroni according to the box instructions and set aside.
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas and lentils.
- Serve as desired! I recommend serving "buffet style" allowing everyone to build their own bowl with the ingredients!
Book lover, coffee addict, mom of dragons (aka rambunctious kids). I share book recs, mom life survival tips, and the occasional existential crisis.
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