Koshari (Egypt's Rice, Lentil and Pasta Bowl with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
کشری (مصر کا چاول، دال اور پاستا، تیز ٹماٹر کی چٹنی کے ساتھ)
Koshari is Egypt's favourite street food and, many say, its national dish: a big bowl of rice cooked with brown lentils, mixed with small pasta, topped with chickpeas, a tangy, spiced tomato sauce, a splash of garlic vinegar (*dakka*) and a heap of crispy fried onions. It sounds like a lot of carbohydrates, and it is, but every spoonful is a balance of soft, crunchy, sour and spicy. Pakistani readers will recognise a cousin of khichdi dressed up for a party, and it's completely vegan.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 10 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 50 min
- Medium
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
For the crispy onions, fry the onion slices in the oil over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring, until deep golden. Lift out onto paper; they'll crisp as they cool. Keep the oil.
Boil the lentils in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes until just tender but not mushy. Drain.
In the degchi, heat 2 tbsp of the onion oil, add the rice, lentils, 1 tsp cumin and 1½ tsp salt and stir for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 18 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until tender and drain.
For the sauce, fry half the garlic in 2 tbsp of the onion oil for 30 seconds. Add the passata, tomato paste, chilli, coriander, remaining cumin and salt, and 2 tbsp vinegar. Simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Add the chickpeas to warm through.
For the dakka, mix the remaining garlic with the remaining vinegar, 3 tbsp water, a pinch of cumin and salt.
Fluff the rice and lentils and mix in the pasta. Serve in bowls topped with tomato sauce and chickpeas, a spoon of dakka and a big handful of crispy onions.
Kitchen notes
The crispy onions are essential. Slice them very thinly and evenly, and fry patiently on medium heat.
Cooking the rice in the onion oil gives koshari its distinctive flavour.
Each component can be made a day ahead and reheated, which makes it ideal for a crowd.
Egypt’s national bowl
Koshari is sold all over Egypt, from tiny stalls to huge restaurants that serve nothing else, where staff scoop each layer from big steel pots with lightning speed. It’s cheap, filling and vegan, which made it a food for workers and students, and today it’s a source of national pride.
A mixed history
Food historians often link koshari to khichdi, which British soldiers and Indian traders brought from South Asia in the 19th century, to Italian pasta, and to Egypt’s own long love of lentils and rice. The result is uniquely Egyptian.
The layers
Every part matters. Rice and lentils cooked in onion oil form the base. Pasta adds softness. The tomato sauce, sharp with vinegar and warm with cumin and chilli, ties it together. Dakka, a garlic vinegar, adds a fresh, sour kick, and crispy onions add crunch and sweetness. Let everyone add sauce and dakka to their own taste.
Serving
Serve in deep bowls with extra sauce and dakka on the side. For Pakistani readers, it makes a fun change from khichdi and chana pulao. For another Egyptian favourite, try ful medames.
Questions people ask
Is koshari vegan?
Yes. It contains no meat, dairy or eggs, which is why it's popular during Coptic Christian fasting periods in Egypt.
What lentils should I use?
Small brown lentils (whole masoor) that hold their shape. Red split lentils turn to mush.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 18 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 86 g
