Jun 26

Jun 26 COOK THE NATIONAL DISH OF EGYPT: KUSHARI

Eat the World, Egypt, Eat the World: Africa

Cooking the National Dish of Egypt: Kushari

What is it about Egypt that stirs my soul?

I've never been there, but since I was a little girl I've always been drawn and fascinated by the country and it's history. Is it because of the pyramids? They hold so much history, we are still revealing new information and finds to this day. Is there something mesmerizing about these massive architectural feats still standing for thousands of years in the desert? Is there something intriguing and mystical about the Ancient Egyptian way of life? Before I continue, I'd just like for you to look at these incredible pictures from one of my favorite Travel Bloggers, Matt Long. How amazing are these photos! Don't you want to go to Egypt? You NEED to follow him on his Instagram, LandLopers. What I love about Matt's instagram, apart from his amazing photos, is that they are always so insightful with an incredible caption for each of his images. I've included his captions on his shots here!

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Today was the day! Today was the day when I fulfilled a dream I've had since I was a kid to see the last remaining wonder of the ancient world in person. Also like so many others, seeing photos of these amazing structures helped fuel my wanderlust as a youngster. I had built them up so much in my mind though I was a little afraid that they would pale in person but no; they're just as amazing as you think they should be. Built so many thousands of years ago it BOGGLES the mind that they were even built at all. I say this a lot but in all honesty, they must be seen in person to appreciate fully and this experience must be on everyone's bucket list if it isn't already. #InsightMoments

See this Instagram photo by @landlopers * 1,484 likes

Times have definitely changed here in Egypt. Five years ago the Temple of Luxor pictured here would've been packed with tourists no matter the time of year. Tonight I felt like I had it to myself. So far that's been the theme everywhere making it I think a great time to visit. While I feel bad for the folks here working in tourism, it was a singular pleasure to walk through this gorgeous temple practically alone, absorbing and appreciating it for the special treasure that it is. #InsightMoments

See this Instagram photo by @landlopers * 1,386 likes

Awe. That's what I felt as I walked into the massive Karnak Temple today in Luxor, Egypt. It's my first time in Egypt and is a fulfillment of a dream I've had since I was a little kid, looking at photos of the pyramids in an old encyclopedia. Traveling with Insight Vacations I flew from Cairo this morning and met a cruise ship for a trip down the Nile. Karnak was our first stop and the first time I've been surrounded by history on such a scale. This is the pillar room, 134 massive columns arranged beautifully and looking up I was stunned. Thanks to centuries of burial under the sand the bright colors - the same ones painted by the ancients - are still as bright as ever, awing visitors just as they once awed the priests who once worked here. #InsightMoments

See this Instagram photo by @landlopers * 1,178 likes

Tomorrow I leave on a new adventure, but first I wanted to share a #Latergram from my last trip - Egypt. I've been trying to describe as best I can the feeling of wonder and excitement I felt throughout my journey in this remarkable country, but it all started with this moment, walking through my first ancient Egyptian temple in Luxor. The age of these sites is what boggled my mind the most. Luxor was built in 1400 BCE - that's 3,400 years ago. Stop and think for a moment just how very long ago that was. We consider events that happened in the 1700s to be really old, now multiple that by a factor of 10 or more. Think about all of the generations that came and went in those years and how much the world has changed. Once you put the age of these remarkable sites in context, then and only then do you start to comprehend the achievement these buildings were and how extraordinary the civilization was. I also feel sad that so much of their history and culture has been lost to the sands of time, but at least we have their mighty monuments to remind us of their legacy.

See this Instagram photo by @landlopers * 1,107 likes

In a nutshell, I guess it has always been ancient Egyptian history that has intrigued me. I remember my grandmother bought me an Egypt book, and it was one of those cool pop-up interactive ones where it would show you people were mummified and all those kinds of creepy things (that are actually pretty morbid for a 11 year old girl). So as I sit watching The Mummy, one of my favorite movies as a young girl, I wondered: what is it and why haven't I been yet? There's still so many discoveries and information that is being uncovered in Egypt. I distinctly remember watching a program when I was in primary school where some archeologists (that was also something I wanted to be) were pushing a camera through a narrow pipe in a pyramid, and I stayed up super late glued to the television.... and it being another blocked off passage they would take another million years to get around! If it weren't for the somewhat terrifying climate we are currently finding ourselves in these days, I would be in Egypt in a heart beat. It's the perfect but worst time to visit. So many other travel bloggers have visited in the past few months and have remarked how empty the major sites are - perfect for exploring and taking photos. It is sad to see such a remarkable country with so much history lose giant amounts of income from tourism because of the situation in the Middle East. All I can do is hope that it will get better or that I become brave enough to visit one day. In the meantime, I'll have to settle for The Mummy and some Kushari!

Kushari Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup macaroni
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
1/4 lb angel hair pasta (broken into 2" pieces)
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry lentils
1-2 onions (sliced thinly)
Spicy Egyptian Sauce (see recipe below)

Directions

Before you start this recipe, make sure you have enough pots to go around - I required five. And I had four. So there was a lot of all over the place for this one. You can also cook this recipe in batches and then add them altogether when you're ready. This recipe is huge and serves six.

Follow the directions for cooking the macaroni, rice, angel hair pasta, and lentils.
Fry the onions in a little bit of olive oil.
Put the cooked pasta in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Toss the pasta and place at the bottom of your serving dish.
Put the lentils and rice in a bowl, toss, and then layer on top of the pasta.
Drizzle the Spicy Egyptian Tomato sauce over the rice and lentils, and then garnish with the fried onions.

Spicy Egyptian Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (less if you don't want it too spicy)
salt and pepper to season

Directions

Put the tomato sauce in a pot and stir in the garlic, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper.
Pour in the vinegar.
Stir the mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.

The Traveling Ginger Verdict

This was carb overload! But, pretty good! If you're not vegetarian however, you might feel like it's missing something. The spicy tomato sauce is pretty spicy, so I would recommend using less cayenne pepper if you're not a fan of spice. I would also add more of the fried onions, as it gives a little extra to the dish. Overall, it was a little bland without the onions or sauce. Definitely need that yumminess piled on top. This recipe also made a LARGE amount of food.

Rating: 6/10