Eating on a budget – Koshary

As Brisbane cools down, the sun sets early and rises late, it’s always good to have some food that will warm you up and give you that much needed winter hug.

Koshary is Egypt’s national dish and I fell in love with it while living and working in Egypt in my early 20s. It’s also something that is very easy to make and good for families on tight budgets! The whole dish can cost you less than $10 to feed a family of 4+ It is also vegan, like many Middle Eastern foods – but it provides enough protein and heartiness so you don’t feel like you’re missing out on any meat at all!

The dish consists of macaroni, rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, a spicy tomato sauce and fried onions – not good for people who are carb conscious but incredible for people need a good serving for aerobic and weight training!

In Egypt, there is a place in downtown Cairo, called Abou Tarek and hands down, makes the absolute best Koshary in all of Egypt.

SBS has a great recipe but I tend to make slight variations with adding more garlic and chilli!

Have a go at making it and let me know what you think! I’d love to see your photos!