Name: Koshari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Egypt, North Africa
Ingredients: 1 cup Egyptian rice, rinsed; 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed; 1 cup elbow macaroni; 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained; 400 g crushed tomatoes; 2 tsp white vinegar; 3 large onions, thinly sliced into rings; 6 cloves garlic, minced

Koshari

Egypt's iconic street food â€” layers of rice, lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas topped with a spiced tomato sauce, garlicky vinegar dressing, and shatteringly crispy fried onions.

Country

Egypt

Region

North Africa

Time

70 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Koshari is the undisputed national dish of Egypt, sold from carts and dedicated shops on every street in Cairo, Alexandria, and beyond. Originally a humble dish of the working class, it has become a symbol of Egyptian identity. The magic is in the layering â€” each component is simple, but together with the tangy tomato sauce and crispy onions, koshari becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

What the dish tastes like

Egypt's iconic street food â€” layers of rice, lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas topped with a spiced tomato sauce, garlicky vinegar dressing, and shatteringly crispy fried onions.

When to cook it

Best for Everyday lunch, street food, with a medium cooking level and about 70 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Extra crispy onions and hot sauce

Follow the collection route

Koshari belongs to 3 AfroKitchen collections. Vegetarian Africa is the strongest cluster route to start from. Vegetarian Africa

Cook the lentils

Boil the brown lentils in salted water for about 20 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.

Do not overcook â€” the lentils should keep their shape.

Cook lentils 20:00

Cook rice and pasta

Cook the rice according to package directions. Separately, boil the macaroni until al dente. Drain both and set aside.

Cook rice & pasta 20:00

Fry the onions

Thinly slice the onions and deep-fry in batches in vegetable oil until deeply golden and crispy, about 8 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

Fry low and slow for the crispiest onions â€” they will darken as they cool.

Fry onions 08:00

Make the tomato sauce

In a saucepan, saute a little garlic in oil, then add crushed tomatoes, vinegar, 1 tsp cumin, salt, and a pinch of chilli. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Tomato sauce 15:00

Make the dakka

In a small pan, fry the remaining garlic in 2 tbsp oil until golden. Add 3 tbsp white vinegar and 1 tsp cumin. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds.

The dakka should be sharp and garlicky.

Assemble and serve

Layer the rice, lentils, and macaroni in a deep bowl. Top with chickpeas, pour over the tomato sauce and dakka, then pile the crispy onions on top. Serve immediately.

The layers should be visible â€” do not mix before serving.

Koshari

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Step-by-step instructions

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