Egyptian Koshari Recipe

Delicious Egyptian Koshari is the national dish of Egypt. This interesting combo of carbs on carbs on carbs with all the fixings is delicious and the most favorite dish we had in Cairo. It’s  got spiced lentils, rice, vermicelli, pasta, chickpeas, topped with spicy tomato sauce and fried onions, SO GOOD!

Koshari (also spelled, Kushari) is both the street food and Egypt’s national dish, also known to be at least a thousand years old. This starch fest of a dish is made out of lentils, rice and has a spicy tangy kick. It came about when someone fell in love with the Indian dish, kichadi made with lentils and rice.  You can find this at any street corner in Cairo.

“If you go to Cairo and not have Koshari, it’s like going to South India and not having Idli sambar”.

Kushari was originally sold as street food before becoming the crown jewel of brick and mortar shops all over Egypt—in fact, the late Anthony Bourdain, always a champion of quirky culinary gems, once shot an episode in Egypt where he enjoyed kushari from one of the most famous restaurants in Cairo. We were lucky to be dining at a local favorite Abou Tarek, where the Koshari is famous. Sold for pennies, a it’s a hearty vegan meal made with lentil rice, pasta, chickpeas, vinegar tomato sauce, and topped with fried onions. Perhaps unsurprising once you see the ingredient list, three different countries each contributed a piece of the culinary puzzle: India is behind the rice, lentils, and chickpeas; Italians working in the restaurants of Egypt added pasta and tomato sauce and Egyptians themselves topped it all off with those crispy onions and a bright, vinegary sauce to tie it all together. “It’s three different cultures all together in one meal.” Perhaps that’s why I love it so much.

It’s a culture overload along with sensory overload.

I got this kushari recipe from a  family friend in Cairo and I couldn’t wait to share it with you’ll. Our friend in Egypt got it from her mom and was generous to share her family’s favorite and I am equally thrilled to share it with my family here. Hope you love it!

What is Egyptian Koshari?

Koshari or Kushari is another one of those genius solutions to using up pantry staples. It is a cousin to the Middle Eastern Mujadara. In a nutshell, it is a comforting bowl of simple pantry staples: spiced lentils and rice, combined with chickpeas and small pasta.  All smothered in a sauce that’s been spiked with vinegar (out-of-this-world tasty, by the way!) Then…wait for it…it’s topped with savory, crispy thin fried onion rings.

Although this koshari/kushari recipe takes some time to put together, each element is fairly simple to make.

It may not look like much, but this Egyptian comfort food has every bit a satisfying depth and texture to it. It’ll have you coming back for more!

Ingredients to make Egyptian Koshari Recipe:

• Tomatoes: I like to use tomatoes on the vine, however, Roma tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes work just fine. I don’t recommend using canned tomatoes in this recipe.
• Brown Lentils: I recommend using brown lentils for the right koshari experience.
• Garlic: fresh garlic always
• Red bell pepper :I used this kind since it adds color and some sweetness
• Spicy Pepper: If you like spicy food, you can use any type of spicy pepper. I’ve used green chilies in the tomato sauce itself, but traditionally they make two different tomato base sauces.
• Chickpeas: I recommend using dried chickpeas, however, canned chickpeas can be substituted to save some time.
• Rice: Use short grain rice and do not overcook it.
• Vermicelli: Toasting this to a golden brown is a must to get a good texture.
• Pasta: Traditional koshari uses ditalini,  mini pasta, but a healthier alternative is whole wheat pasta.
• White Vinegar: I use distilled white vinegar. I don’t recommend using any other type of vinegar, because it will change the flavor of the koshari vinegar red sauce.
• fresh lemon juice 
• Oil: Any type of oil can be used in this recipe. One tip is to use the same oil that was used to fry the onions (after frying the onions) because it’s infused with an onion flavor.
• Spices: This authentic Egyptian koshari recipe needs ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground chili powder.

How to Assemble a  Egyptian KOSHARI BOWL

Because Egyptian koshari has several parts to it, you might be wondering how to assemble everything. I made the list in order of how you assemble the bowl starting with the bottom-most layer (being the koshari lentil rice).

1. Vermicelli rice
2. Pasta
3. Lentils
4. Chickpeas
5. Cooked red sauce, warmed
6. Fresh vinegar sauce
7. Fried onions

From our friend’s kitchen to my book, to my table to yours. Happy Cooking/ “EHghsill elMOOawEEN”!

Egyptian Koshari

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

2 hours

 

Author: Ash

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: Egyptian

Serves: 8

Ingredients

For Tomato based Sauce

• 3 tbsp veg oil
• 10 garlic cloves or 2 tbsp finely diced garlic cloves
• 6 green chilies, sliced thinly
• 1 tbsp of red chili flakes ( more if you want more heat)
• 4 tbsp white vinegar
• 8 large juicy tomatoes, pureed
• 1 large red bell pepper, pureed along with tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Dakkah Sauce

• 7 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ⅓ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ⅓ cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

For the Crispy Onion Topping

• 1 large onion, cut to quarters and thinly sliced
• Salt
• ½ cup cooking oil or air fry

Cooking the lentils

• 1 cup brown lentils, soaked for 1 hour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt

Vermicelli Rice

• 1 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed, soaked in water for 15 minutes, drained
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 cup vermicelli
• ½ tsp each salt and pepper

Pasta

• 1 cup mini ditalini, traditionally used
• Water

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and warmed

Instructions

Sauce

1. Add oil in a large deep pot. Add the thinly sliced chillies and saute for 20 seconds before adding the minced garlic cloves and fry in the pot for a few minutes until fragrant and bubbly.
2. Before the garlic browns add 4 Tbsp of White vinegar and deglaze the pot, add the pureed tomatoes and bell pepper. Season with salt and Pepper. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened

Dakkah or Garlic Vinegar sauce

1. Mince 7 garlic cloves and add to a cup. Add ⅓C White Vinegar, ⅓C water and ¼C Lemon juice, toss in your Cumin, Coriander, Cayenne pepper and salt and mix to combine

Crispy onions

1. Sprinkle the onion rings with salt and let it sit on a paper towel to soak up the salt.
2. In a large skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat, cook the onion rings, stirring often, until they turn a nice caramelized brown. Onions must be crispy, but not burned (15-20 minutes). You can air fry at 260 for 20 minutes tossing every now and then. Set aside in one layer to keep them crispy.

Lentils

1. Add 2 litres or quarts of water to a pot and boil, to that add Salt and Cumin to the water as well as your lentils. Boil for 30-40 minutes until cooked through but not mushy (al dente) Strain the lentils using a colander, and keep the lentil water for later when you cook the rice.

Rice Vermicelli

1. Wash your rice till the water runs clear and allow to dry for at least one hour. In a pan add oil, and toss in your vermicelli to get toasty brown on low heat, about 3 minutes. Then add your rice, little bit of fried onions, 2 tbsp of dakkah sauce, another 2 tbsp of the tomato sauce, and add 4 cups of the reserved lentil water. Check for salt and season as you want. Bring the pot to a boil and cover, once water has evaporated from the pot turn the heat down to low. Allow to steam for 20 minutes.

Pasta

1. Cook pasta in heavily salted water till Al dente

ASSEMBLY of the Koshari

1. To serve, fluff the rice and vermicelli with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Add some lentils on top. Top with the pasta and ½ cup of the tomato sauce, the garlic vinegar sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally 2 tbsp of the crispy onions for garnish. Serve, passing the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.
2. Serve Warm.

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If you make this Kushari/Egyptian Koshari recipe,  please rate the recipe and comment if you liked it and tag me on Instagram using hashtag #foodfashionparty.

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