Description
Egyptian koshari is the national dish of Egypt, made from rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and a garlicky tomato sauce topped with crispy fried onions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (200g) long-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 cup (200g) brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup (100g) small pasta, cooked
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
- Neutral oil, for frying
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce or passata
- 3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice, lentils and pasta separately. Cook the rice in salted water until tender. Cook the lentils in a separate pot until tender but still holding their shape — about 20 minutes. Drain all three and keep them separate.
- Fry the crispy onions. Toss the thinly sliced onions in flour. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the onions in batches until deeply golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Make the tomato sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan. Add chili flakes and half the garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the tomato sauce, cumin, coriander, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and salt. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
- Make the vinegar dakkah. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil with the remaining garlic until just golden. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat immediately.
- Assemble. Spread the combined rice and lentils on a large platter as the base. Top with the cooked pasta, then the chickpeas. Pour the tomato sauce over everything. Scatter the crispy onions generously over the top. Garnish with parsley.
Notes
Koshari can be prepped ahead by storing each component separately in the fridge for up to 5 days. Assemble fresh for best results.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Egyptian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 15g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg