Entree: Egypt – Central Culinary Region – كشري ➤ Koshari (Hearty Egyptian street-food of rice, lentils, and pasta topped with spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 40 min

Cook 1 hr

Total 1 hr 40 min

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 cups (285 g) medium-grain rice, rinsed
- 1 cup (200 g) brown lentils, rinsed
- 8 oz (225 g) elbow macaroni or small pasta
- 1 1/2 cups (255 g) cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15 oz/425 g) drained
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced (for frying)
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil for frying onions
- 28 oz (800 g) canned crushed tomatoes or passata
- 3 tbsp (45 g) tomato paste
- 4 cloves (approx. 12 g) garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp (10 g) ground cumin, divided
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander (optional)
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) crushed red pepper or to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar (balances tomato acidity)
- 4 cups (960 ml) water or vegetable stock (for cooking rice and lentils)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar and 1/2 tsp (2 g) chili flakes for optional chili-vinegar sauce

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils: place lentils in a pot with 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) water and 1/2 tsp (2 g) salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but not mushy, 20–25 minutes. Drain and reserve.
2. Cook the rice: in a separate pot, bring 2 cups (480 ml) water to a boil with 1 tsp (6 g) salt. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 15–18 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
3. Cook the pasta: boil pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente, drain, and toss with 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil to prevent sticking.
4. Fry the onions: heat 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil in a deep skillet or pot to 325°F (160°C) if using thermometer. Fry the sliced onions in batches until deep golden brown and crisp, about 8–12 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the onion oil for sauce if desired.
5. Make the tomato-cumin sauce: heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil (or reserved onion oil) in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add crushed tomatoes, 1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, 1 tsp (6 g) salt, 1 tsp (4 g) sugar, 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) ground cumin, crushed red pepper, and ground coriander if using. Simmer uncovered 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened. Adjust salt, sugar, and vinegar to taste.
6. Prepare chickpeas: if using canned chickpeas, warm them in a little of the tomato sauce or simmer briefly in salted water until heated through.
7. Optional chili-vinegar sauce: mix 2 tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar with 1/2 tsp (2 g) chili flakes and 1 clove minced garlic; let sit 10 minutes before serving.
8. Assemble Koshari: in a large serving dish or individual bowls, layer or side-by-side arrange rice, lentils, and pasta. Top with chickpeas. Spoon generous amounts of the spiced tomato sauce over each portion. Finish with a generous handful of crispy fried onions and offer the chili-vinegar sauce at the table.
9. Serve immediately: Koshari is served hot; diners mix the components on their plate, adding tomato sauce and vinegar-chili to taste. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days; refresh the fried onions before serving.