Image credits: Koshari by David Lisbona (CC-BY)
On Baharat
Having never been to Egypt or Bahrain, I cannot attest to the authenticity of these recipes. What I can attest to, is that Koshari is one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.
The sour-spicy Baharat spice mix unites the two dishes, ensuring that any pairings or accompaniments are just that bit easier.
Fun fact from the Daring Gourmet site:
“Baharat, Arabic for “spice”, is a popular spice blend found in Arab cuisine.”
So adding “Spice Blend” as I have done below is probably tautologous. But hey, we still say “Chai tea” where I come from…
Get the recipes
For the full recipes, see the originals on the Daring Gourmet site:
Notes on timings:
If you are making both dishes “Pepperrage-style” i.e. both vegetarian and meat meals on the table at the same time:
1) Prepare the Baharat Spice Blend
2) Prepare all of the constituent ingredients for Koshari and set aside.
3) Make the Chicken Machboos.
4) Warm up the Koshari ingredients and pour over hot tomato-ey sauce.