Egyptian dish - KOSHERY

A completely vegetarian dish from a land which loves mutton!
This dish was served to us when we went to a very local restaurant in Cairo, Egypt. I just could not believe my eyes!! I had a lovely South-Indian(ish) meal in Egypt. Rice + Tomato curry + Lentil salad!
This recipe was given to us by our guide - Ameena.
This dish is served with a special tomato sauce.
It is a single bowl dish and comes layered.

Ingredients:

Green gram - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight
Channa (Chickpeas) - 1/2 cup, soaked overnight
Macaroni - 1 cup
Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
Jeera (cumin seed) powder - 2 pinches
Salt to taste
Onion - 2 (or even 3 large) , sliced into long thin strips
Rice - 1 cup , washed and soaked for 1/2 hour
Vegetable Oil - 4 tbsp

There are many elements in this dish and each has to be prepared separately. But as I mentioned before, all the elements are layered in a single bowl and served.

As each element needs to be salted for flavor, keep the salt level (in each element) at the bare minimum. You can always add more salt, but you cannot reduce easily.

1. Pressure cook the chick peas (with salt) until soft. Around 3 whistles and simmer for 2 more whistles.

2. Boil the green gram (with salt) separately in another vessel and keep an eye on it, as it mashes up fast.

3. Fry the Vermicelli until golden brown and boil with ample salted water till cooked.
(The usual ratio of vermicelli to water is 1:2, or for every part of vermicelli add double the quantity of water)

4. Cook the elbow Pasta al dente in salted water.

5. Heat oil in another big vessel. Fry onions till they are golden brown and crispy. Drain from the oil and keep aside.(You can also try deep frying the onions for extra taste.)

6. If you have deep fried the onions, then heat a bit of the oil used for deep frying in a vessel and proceed.
Otherwise into the (onion cooked) left-over oil add 2 cups water , salt and cumin seed / jeera powder. Bring to boil and add rice to it. Cover and simmer till done and all water has evaporated. Mix this rice with the cooked vermicelli.

Layering:
At the bottom of the bowl place macaroni /pasta.
Arrange the rice mixed with vermicelli over this.
Decorate the top with boiled chickpeas, green gram and fried onions.

For the Tomato Sauce:
Tomato - 4 large or 7 small, blanched , peeled and pureed
Garlic - 3 pods
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed / jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

Heat oil. Saute Garlic.
Add the pureed tomato, salt, pepper, cumin seed powder and vinegar.
Bring to a boil and cook till the curry thickens.

Serve with Koshery