Egyptian rice, lentil and tomato sauce dish (koshari)

Put oil in a wide non stick pan over medium heat and sauté the onions until nicely browned, about 20 minutes. stir occasionally. Add brown sugar salt for the last two minutes of sautéing and remove from the heat.

Put all tomato sauce ingredients n a heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, mix and bring to boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, mashing the tomatoes and mixing occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Adjust salt and vinegar to taste. Set aside.

Put oil in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium high heat. Add vermicelli noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until brown. Transfer noodles to a small bowl and add lentils to the saucepan together with vegetable stock. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes until lentils are almost tender. Add rice and salt, and the browned vermicelli, mix gently, cover and continue to cook for 15 minutes longer. Add boiling water by the ¼ cup if the stew seems too dry.

Wash chickpea in a colander until water coming out are clean.

Arrange koshari in individual or one large communal bowl. Put the rice-lentil stew at the bottom, top generously with tomato sauce, sprinkle chickpea, top it all with the crispy onion and serve.

Koshari keeps in the fridge up to 5 days.