Ingredients

• 250 g brown lentils (ads asmar)
• 400 g Egyptian short-grain rice
• 100 g vermicelli (sha'reya)
• 250 g small elbow macaroni
• 1 can chickpeas
• 4 large onions
• 250 ml vegetable oil
• 800 g ripe tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 cloves garlic, for the sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, for the da'a
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp chili flakes or cayenne
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar, for the sauce
• 120 ml white vinegar, for the da'a
• 120 ml water, for the da'a
• 650 ml lentil cooking liquid or water
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• to taste shatta (Egyptian chili sauce)

Method

1. 01
   Boil the lentils Put the rinsed lentils in a pot with about one and a quarter litres of water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently until just tender but still holding their shape, about twenty minutes. Drain them and keep the cooking liquid.
2. 02
   Fry first onion batch Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat, add half the sliced onions, and fry, stirring often, until they are golden amber and crisp, about eighteen minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and spread them out.
3. 03
   Fry second onion batch Add the remaining onions to the same oil and fry them the same way until golden amber and crisp, about eighteen minutes, then drain and spread them on paper towels. Pour off and save six tablespoons of the onion oil.
4. 04
   Toast the vermicelli Heat three tablespoons of the onion oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and stir the broken vermicelli until it is evenly deep golden, about three minutes.
5. 05
   Add rice and lentils Stir in the drained rice, the cooked lentils, one teaspoon of cumin and about one and a half teaspoons of salt, and turn everything in the oil for one minute.
6. 06
   Steam the rice Pour in six hundred and fifty millilitres of lentil cooking liquid, topped up with water if needed, bring it to a boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for eighteen minutes.
7. 07
   Rest the rice Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered without lifting the lid for ten minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork.
8. 08
   Boil the macaroni While the rice cooks, boil the macaroni in plenty of salted water until tender, about eight minutes, then drain it.
9. 09
   Fry the sauce garlic Heat the remaining three tablespoons of onion oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the minced garlic for about forty five seconds, just until fragrant.
10. 10
    Simmer the tomato sauce Add the blended tomatoes, tomato paste, one teaspoon of cumin, the coriander, chili, sugar, salt and black pepper, and simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, until thickened, about twenty minutes. Stir in one tablespoon of vinegar at the end.
11. 11
    Make the da'a Stir the crushed garlic, one teaspoon of cumin, a good pinch of salt, the one hundred and twenty millilitres of vinegar and the one hundred and twenty millilitres of water together in a bowl, and let it stand for ten minutes.
12. 12
    Warm the chickpeas Simmer the chickpeas in their liquid with a pinch of salt for five minutes, then drain.
13. 13
    Layer and serve Spoon the rice and lentils into bowls, top with macaroni, then tomato sauce, chickpeas and a big handful of crispy onions, and serve with the da'a and shatta on the side for each person to add.