Belgium and Egypt have never met at a World Cup, but in friendlies Egypt has done the running — three wins to Belgium’s one. Tonight at Seattle Stadium, the Red Devils look to rewrite that script against a Pharaohs side carrying the weight of a nation on Mohamed Salah’s shoulders. Group G is a minefield: Iran, New Zealand, and two teams who both know how to make a statement on the opening day. Speaking of statements — let’s talk about what happens when Belgian beer stew meets Egyptian street food.
Carbonnade flamande is Belgium’s answer to comfort food: beef slow-cooked in dark beer with caramelised onions until it practically falls apart. Koshari is Egypt’s: layers of lentils, rice, pasta, and chickpeas drowned in tangy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. Both dishes share an unexpected common thread — they’re essentially different cultures arriving at the same conclusion that the best meal involves slow-cooked carbohydrates with something deeply flavoured poured over the top.
The Concept
Carbonnade Koshari takes the best ideas from both worlds. The Belgian beer-braised beef provides the protein and deep malt sweetness. The Egyptian layering technique gives structure — lentils at the bottom, rice in the middle, pasta on top. The tomato sauce gets upgraded with a dash of harissa for heat and a splash of Belgian Tripel for complexity. Crispy fried onions crown the whole thing, because both cultures agree that nothing is better with fried onions.
This is the kind of dish you’d find at a World Cup viewing party if the bar had a chef who’d spent equal time in Brussels and Cairo. It’s hearty, slightly messy, and best eaten with your sleeves rolled up.
Ingredients
For the beer-braised beef:
- 750g beef chuck, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 200g streaky bacon, diced
- 2 large onions, finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 300ml Belgian dark ale (Stella Artois works in a pinch, but a Duvel or Chimay would be closer to the spirit)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp butter
- Fresh thyme and bay leaves
For the koshari base:
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 1.5 cups short-grain rice
- 200g macaroni or ditalini pasta
- 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
For the harissa-tomato sauce:
- 400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (adjust to taste)
- 100ml Belgian beer (leftover from the beef, ideally)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and sugar to taste
For the crispy fried onions:
- 3 large onions, cut into thin rings and separated
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Oil for frying
Method
- Start the lentils and rice: Cook the lentils in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes), then drain. Cook the rice separately in salted water until al dente. Cook the pasta in another pot according to packet instructions. Yes, this means three pots on the hob simultaneously — this is the koshari way, and there are no shortcuts.
- Make the tomato sauce: While the grains cook, heat oil in a large pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, harissa, cumin, smoked paprika, and beer. Simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Set aside.
- Braise the beef: Toss the beef cubes in the seasoned flour. In a heavy-based casserole, fry the bacon until crispy. Add the beef in batches and brown well — don’t overcrowd the pan. Remove everything. Add the butter and onions to the pan and cook slowly for 10 minutes until golden. Add the garlic, return the beef and bacon, then pour in the beer, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Add thyme and bay leaves. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours (or cook in the oven at 160°C for 2.5 hours). The beef should be falling-apart tender.
- Fry the onions: Toss the onion rings in a mixture of flour and baking powder until coated. Heat oil to 180°C and fry in batches until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and salt immediately. This is the bit that makes the whole dish worth the effort.
- Assemble: In a large serving bowl (or individual bowls if you’re feeling fancy), layer the lentils at the bottom, then the rice, then the pasta. Mix in the chickpeas. Pour the beer-braised beef and its sauce generously over the top. Spoon the harissa-tomato sauce alongside. Top with mountains of crispy fried onions.
- Serve: This dish is best eaten while the onions are still crispy and everything is still hot — essentially immediately. Serve with a cold Belgian beer, because the theme must be maintained.
Serves 4-6. Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 2.5 hours (mostly hands-off braising). Difficulty: moderate — mainly because managing three simultaneous boiling pots requires the kind of multitasking that Belgium’s midfield will need against Egypt’s press tonight.
