Perhaps the only food that isn't fried in Egypt is koshari, most aptly described as creative leftovers. I was introduced to koshari four years ago when Dan used to cook it up for us to feast on after yet another near loss (in the lowest grade) by the Brothers Renkin basketball team, without realising that it would one day sustain me through six weeks in Egypt.
In Egypt koshari is served in huge bowls in which pasta, noodles, rice, lentils and chickpeas are combined and then covered in a thin, savoury tomato sauce, topped with fried shallots. You then season this with a garlic vinegar and hot chilli oil to you preference. The servings are gigantic, one large plate is enough food for the entire day - even for someone with a bottomless pit stomach like myself. And the cost for this filling gourmet delight - a measly one dollar - and I had a few Egyptians tells me about how the prices have jumped a lot in the recent months. Every little town has a koshari place, and they are easily identifiable by huge silver pots in the windows. Egyptians really do treat this left-over special as gourmet - argument rages over which is the best koshari place in Cairo. I don't know about its gourmet status but I ate it almost every day I was in Egypt and I can testify to its ability to keep a stomach full for the whole day and give you enough energy to ride around on a bicycle for 10hours in forty degree heat.
So for those of you who lament not being able to experience the joys of loitering across the globe and sniffing out meat free comestibles along rubbish strewn streets in restaurants of questionable hygiene,
give Dan a call - he is probably whipping up a batch of koshari as you read this - I heard it is Aegean's favourite.
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