Koshari — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Egypt's beloved national dish: a magnificent mountain of rice, lentils, and macaroni crowned with a fiery tomato-vinegar sauce and shatteringly crispy fried onions. This humble street food masterpiece delivers an addictive symphony of textures and tangy heat.

Ingredients

200g Egyptian rice or short-grain rice
200g brown lentils
200g small elbow macaroni
150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked (or canned)
3 large onions, thinly sliced into rings
400g canned crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili flakes
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt and black pepper to taste
Hot chili sauce (shatta) for serving

Instructions

1 Cook the brown lentils in salted boiling water for 20-25 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.
2 Cook the rice separately in salted water until fluffy, and cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain both.
3 Slice the onions into thin rings and deep-fry in batches in hot vegetable oil until deeply golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
4 Make the tomato sauce: sauté garlic in olive oil until golden, add crushed tomatoes, cumin, chili flakes, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick and rich.
5 Prepare the garlic-vinegar dakkah sauce: mix additional minced garlic with vinegar, lemon juice, and a pinch of cumin for a sharp condiment.
6 To assemble, layer the rice, lentils, and macaroni in a large serving bowl or plate. Scatter the cooked chickpeas on top.
7 Ladle the hot tomato sauce generously over the layers and pile a mountain of crispy fried onions on top. Serve with shatta (hot sauce) and dakkah on the side.

Did You Know?

Koshari is believed to have been influenced by the Indian dish khichdi, brought to Egypt by British soldiers during colonial times. Egyptians transformed it into something entirely their own.