About this Dish
Egypt's national dish and one of the great street foods of the world — a bowl of rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas topped with a spiced tomato sauce, crispy fried onions and a vinegar-garlic dressing. Cheap, filling, vegetarian and extraordinary. Koshari restaurants (koshariat) serve only this one dish, in enormous quantities, to thousands of customers daily.
IngredientsServes 4
🍚Egyptian short-grain or white rice, 1 cup
🫘Brown or green lentils, 1 cup
🍝Elbow macaroni, 1 cup
🫘Canned chickpeas, 1 x 400g tin, drained and rinsed
🧅Large onions, 3, thinly sliced into rings
🍅Canned crushed tomatoes, 1 x 400g tin
🧄Garlic cloves, 6, minced (divided use)
🌶️Ground cumin, 1 tsp; ground coriander, 1 tsp; cayenne pepper, ½ tsp
🍶White wine vinegar, 3 tbsp
🫒Vegetable oil, 6 tbsp (divided)
Method
1
Cook the lentils in a saucepan with 2 cups of salted water for 20–25 minutes until just tender but not mushy, then drain and set aside. Separately, cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente, drain, and set aside.2
Make the crispy onions by heating 4 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion rings with a pinch of salt and fry, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy — be patient, this is the star of the dish. Drain on paper towels and set aside, reserving the onion oil in the pan.3
For the tomato sauce, heat 2 tbsp of fresh oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add half the minced garlic and fry for 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 15–20 minutes until the sauce thickens and deepens in colour.4
Make the garlic-vinegar dressing by mixing the remaining minced garlic with the white wine vinegar, a pinch of cumin and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set aside — this sharp dressing cuts through the richness of the whole dish.5
Cook the rice using the reserved onion oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Toast the rice for 2 minutes, then add 1¾ cups of water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steam, covered, for 5 more minutes.6
To assemble, layer rice in the bottom of each bowl, then top with lentils, macaroni and chickpeas in generous portions. Ladle the warm tomato sauce over the top, drizzle with the garlic-vinegar dressing, and crown with a big handful of crispy fried onions. Serve with extra sauce and vinegar dressing on the side so everyone can adjust to taste.User Reviews
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