Koshary is a popular Egyptian dish made of rice and lentils, incorporating pasta and chickpeas, which is served together with a topping of spicy tomato sauce and some crispy fried onions.
Koshari (Egyptian Rice with Lentils) كشري
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♦♦Prep time:10 min ♦Cook time:40 min ♦Yield: 5 Servings
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Koshari (Egyptian Rice with Lentils) كشري
Description
Widely celebrated as the ultimate comfort food and the national dish of Egypt, Koshary is a spectacular tower of textures and contrasting flavors. It is a hearty, plant-based marvel that brings together a surprising medley of pantry staples—fluffy rice, tender lentils, and a duo of macaroni—into one cohesive, satisfying bowl. Elevated by a truly addictive vinegary tomato sauce with a hint of warmth, a splash of garlic-chilli water known as da'ah, and a generous crowning of golden, shatteringly crisp fried onions. This comfort food is a perfect balance of earthy, tangy, and crunchy, embodying the vibrant spirit of Cairo’s bustling street food scene in every forkful.
Ingredients:
For the Tomato Sauce:
For the Spiced Vinegar Sauce / Da’ah Sauce:
Instructions
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Begin by cooking the lentils and chickpeas: If you are using dried chickpeas, soak them in water overnight. For Koshari, I don't mind using organic chickpeas in a jar or canned ones. Keep them drained.
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Rinse the lentils thoroughly, pick out any debris or stones. Rinse again in a colander, then add to a pot.
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Cover with fresh water, 2-3 inches above the lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, till the lentils are cooked. You can add a stock cube to the lentils to boost flavour, but I don't add salt at this stage. You might need to top up the cooking liquid.
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Drain the cooked lentils, and reserve that cooking liquid.
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Cook the rice: Rinse the rice thoroughly. Add to a rice cooker pot. Using a measuring cup, measure the liquid from cooking the lentils. Add enough water to make 5 cups. Add this to the rice and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and cook till done.
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Sauté the cooked Lentils: While the rice is cooking, return the pot for cooking the lentils to a separate burner and add olive oil(2-3Tbsp). As it heats up, add the chopped Onion(1Nos), and saute till the onions are translucent. Just as they begin to develop a little colour, add in the drained lentils. Add salt(1tsp) to taste. Stir fry the lentils for under a minute. Add the canned tomato sauce and black pepper to taste. Simmer and cook till the tomato sauce is absorbed by the lentils, and the lentils become more tender in the process. You can also add a little garlic powder at this stage if you like. Once the tomato sauce is absorbed. Set this aside in the serving dish.
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Cook the Pasta: After the rice is cooked, add the pasta to a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, and cook for 7-8 minutes till al dente. Drain, toss with a spoon of olive oil or butter and set aside.
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Sauté the cooked/ canned chickpeas: While the pasta is cooking, place a skillet or non-stick pan on a separate burner and heat a little olive oil(1Tbsp). and saute half of one chopped onion, and garlic(2cloves), Add the drained chickpeas and toss them on high heat briefly, then add the ground cumin(1/4tsp). You can also add a little chopped fresh parsley here if you like. Set this aside.
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Cook the Tomato Sauce: Wipe down the skillet used for the chickpeas, and heat olive oil(3Tbsp). Add Bayleaf(1Nos).
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Add the chopped garlic (3cloves), and onion(1Nos). Sauté till slightly golden. Add the canned tomato sauce (1can).
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Cook - till the tomato sauce has thickened a little and become deeper in colour. At this stage, add the chopped fresh tomato and continue cooking till the tomatoes are mashed into the sauce. Add a little water or vegetable stock to loosen this sauce a little. It should not be too thick. Add the Baharat spice Mix(2-3Tbsp)to season. You may also add crushed pepper flakes. If you are using a puree of fresh tomatoes, here, you need to add some vinegar to get it a bit more acidic. I don't find the need for most canned tomato sauces. You can also add chopped coriander or parsley at the end of cooking if you like.
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Fry Onions: To the same pot in which the lentils were cooked, Sunflower oil(1/4cup). Finely slice onions(2Nos) and add to the oil. I like to use both yellow and red onions here. Fry till deep golden and spread them out on kitchen paper. After they have cooled, they will be crisper. Use your hands to separate them at this stage and set them aside. Take the oil used for frying the onions and pour it over the cooked rice. Fluff it up nicely. This oil adds a lot of flavour and aroma, so please don't skip this step. It gives the rice a glossy look and texture, too.
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Cook the Spiced Vinegar Sauce: In the same pot, add oil(1Tbsp), and saute the crushed garlic(3cloves) and optional- sliced green chilli(1Nos). Add in the spices [Cumin(1tsp), Coriander(1tsp), Pepper(1/4tsp), Cayenne(Pinch)]. Cook for about 30 seconds till the spices are fragrant, and then add in the water(1/4cup) and vinegar(2Tbsp). Add salt to taste and simmer briefly. (You can add a little chopped parsley or coriander after removing from the heat if you like.)
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To Serve: Add rice to each plate and top with some lentils. Add the tomato sauce over the lentils. Add some pasta and chickpeas too. Top with the fried onions. You can add a little finely chopped parsley for garnish. Serve the remaining tomato sauce on the side, along with more crispy onions and the vinegar sauce, so each person can add to their liking. Everyone likes the different layers in varying quantities, so let them help themselves by placing everything in the centre. For a pretty presentation, use a small bowl and add the lentils first, followed by rice, then a little tomato sauce, pasta and chickpeas layers. Invert this onto the serving plate, and garnish with fried onion and parsley. This dish is highly customizable, and everyone likes it differently. But I suggest you make some extra fried onions;) The vinegar sauce adds a punch, and many people like to spoon it over their rice as they eat.
Note
- Baharat Spice Mix is recommended for flavourful Koshari, but you can use cumin, coriander, black pepper, and cayenne instead.
- A spicy Chilli sauce (Shatta) is often served with Koshari also. But I recommend trying my Chilli Ginger Sauce for Chicken Rice. It's a fabulous way to knock things up a notch!
- As a rule for cooking rice, use 2:1 water to rice, and it should turn out perfect without needing to be checked on. However, do check if you're using a different type of rice. I tried Koshari with Basmati and found that the sauce does not go as well with it as with short-grain rice.
- You cut the cooking time by making things simultaneously (macaroni, lentils, and rice on separate burners) and the sauce in another pan. The lentils and chickpeas take a longer time to cook, but I usually go with canned chickpeas.
- If you prefer to cook the chickpeas from scratch, they must be soaked overnight or 6-8 hours, first and cooked separately, simultaneously, while cooking the lentils.
- Some people find that they use up all the pots and pans in the house to make Koshari... Lol... I use one pot with a lid (to cook the lentils and fry the onions), one non-stick pan (for the tomato sauce), a Rice cooker or a rice pot (to cook the rice). One large Saucepan(to cook pasta). Also serving bowls for each item. Everything is easy to wash up, so it's okay, really!
- Some people are thrown off by the combination of pasta with rice. This is why using the smallest type of pasta is important. I use the mini Ditalini pasta and find it is better than regular small macaroni. I also use the one flavoured with tomato and spinach, so you get the green and orange colours to the dish also.
- If you are using canned tomato sauce, you can omit any added vinegar, especially if you have the Spiced vinegar sauce on the side. However, the tomato sauce should be a little acidic and not too 'thick' like other pasta sauces. You need enough to pour over your rice and other toppings as needed.
- Some like to cook the lentils halfway and then continue the rice so that you have cooked rice and lentils, but everyone likes a different ratio of lentils: rice, so keeping them separate is good!
- Brown lentils are one of the most common lentils, easily found everywhere. The colour may vary - from greenish-brown, to light brown, to dark brown.
- Brown Lentils.
- Canned or Jarred Chickpeas, to cut the cooking time.
- Tomato sauce from a can, combined with fresh tomato to cut the cooking time
- Mini Ditalini Pasta, I use baby pasta flavoured with spinach and tomato, to add colour to the dish. The tinier pasta is better for this dish.
- Some people like to sprinkle the sliced onions with salt and flour before frying, but I don't find this necessary. Usually the onions for Kshary are fried to a dark brown.
- Key Ingredients: Rice, Lentils, Tomato, Onions, Garlic, Chickpeas, Pasta, Oil, Spice, Salt.
That’s delicious! Thank-you! We loved it.