Koshari

Name: Koshari
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 3 large Yellow Onions, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp Salt; 500ml Neutral Oil, for deep-frying; reserve some for cooking rice; 1 cup Brown Lentils, picked and rinsed; 1 cup Medium-Grain Rice, rinsed; 3 cups Water, to cook lentils; 1 3/4 cups Water, to cook rice; 2 tbsp Onion Frying Oil; 1 tsp Ground Cumin; 1 tsp Salt; 1 Bay Leaf; 200g Elbow Macaroni; 100g Spaghetti, broken into short pieces; 1 can (15 oz) of Canned Chickpeas, 400 g, drained and rinsed; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 6 cloves of Garlic, minced; 1 tsp Ground Cumin; 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander; 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes, or chili powder; to taste; 1 pinch of Salt; 800g Crushed Canned Tomatoes, or passata; 2 tbsp White Vinegar; 1 tsp Sugar, optional, to balance acidity; 1 tsp Salt; 4 cloves of Garlic, minced; 60ml White Vinegar; 60ml Water; 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin; 1/4 tsp Chili Powder

Koshari is a comforting Egyptian street-food bowl of tender lentils and rice, chewy pasta, and plump chickpeas, all topped with a tangy spiced tomato sauce and crowned with crisp, golden fried onions. Layers of warm spices and a bright vinegar-chili dressing make every bite savory, textural, and addictive — perfect for a hearty family meal or impressive vegetarian centerpiece.

Koshari is a comforting Egyptian street-food bowl of tender lentils and rice, chewy pasta, and plump chickpeas, all topped with a ... Show more

Traditional Egyptian Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

1,22 €

Calories

1040 kcal

vegan

meal prep

low sugar

comfort food

potluck

middle eastern

Method

Prep the ingredients

Pick over and rinse the Brown Lentils and Medium-Grain Rice in plenty of Water, then drain them well. Trim and thinly slice the Yellow Onion, mince the Garlic, and split it into two piles for the sauce and the dakka. Drain and rinse the Canned Chickpeas, and chop the Fresh Parsley if you want it for garnish.

Fry the onions

Set a deep pot over medium heat and add the Neutral Oil. Toss the sliced onions with the All-purpose Flour and Salt until lightly coated, then fry them in batches, stirring often at first, until they turn deep golden and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve 2 tablespoons of the onion-frying oil Onion Frying Oil for the rice.

Cook the grains

Set one saucepan over medium heat with the reserved onion-frying oil. Stir in the Ground Cumin, the rice, and the salt until the grains look glossy, then add 1.8 cups water and the Bay Leaf. Bring it to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes. In a second saucepan, simmer the Brown Lentils in 3 cups water until just tender but still holding their shape, about 20 minutes, then drain off any extra liquid if needed.

Boil the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then add the Elbow Macaroni and the Spaghetti broken into short pieces. Cook, stirring once or twice so nothing sticks, until both are al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes, then drain well.

Simmer the sauce

Set a saucepan over medium heat with the Olive Oil. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the Ground Coriander, Chili Flakes, the Crushed Canned Tomatoes, White Vinegar, Sugar if you want to soften the acidity, a little more cumin, salt, and a few grinds of Pepper (Black). Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and bright red.

Season the chickpeas

Toss the chickpeas with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cumin in a small bowl until evenly seasoned. If you want them warm, set the bowl near the stove while you finish everything else.

Mix the dakka

Whisk the remaining garlic with the vinegar, 60 ml of Water, a little cumin, the Chili Powder, and a pinch of Salt until the salt dissolves. Let the dakka sit for 10 minutes so the garlic softens and the flavors meld.

Assemble and serve

Layer the rice and lentils on a big platter or in shallow bowls, top with the pasta, and spoon the chickpeas over or beside everything. Ladle on the sauce, pile on the crispy onions, and finish with the parsley if you are using it. Bring the dakka to the table and drizzle to taste.

Ingredients

Method

For 4 servings

Adjust servings

For the crispy onions

3 large Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
500ml Neutral Oil, for deep-frying; reserve some for cooking rice

For the rice & lentils

1 cup Brown Lentils, picked and rinsed
1 cup Medium-Grain Rice, rinsed
3 cups Water, to cook lentils
1 3/4 cups Water, to cook rice
2 tbsp Onion Frying Oil
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 Bay Leaf

For the pasta

200g Elbow Macaroni
100g Spaghetti, broken into short pieces
Some Salt, for boiling water

For the chickpeas

1 can (15 oz) of Canned Chickpeas, 400 g, drained and rinsed
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch of Ground Cumin

For the spiced tomato sauce

2 tbsp Olive Oil
6 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Chili Flakes, or chili powder; to taste
800g Crushed Canned Tomatoes, or passata
2 tbsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar, optional, to balance acidity
1 tsp Salt
Some Pepper (Black), to taste

For the garlic-vinegar (dakka)

4 cloves of Garlic, minced
60ml White Vinegar
60ml Water
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Optional garnish

2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

🧂 Plus ~2g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

1040 kcal

52% of Daily kcal

Protein

34 g

67% RDI

Fat

29 g

4.2g sat fat

Carbs

161 g

59% RDI

Sugar

16 g

32% RDI

Fiber

26 g

86% RDI

Salt

4.5 g

90% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

B+ · 7.6 / 10

What others say

Click to rate

ruth_archives

4 days ago

A decent enough Koshari, but the amount of oil called for in the onions is excessive and creates a lot of waste for a home cook. I managed with less than half the oil for the same result, and kept the leftovers in a jar for other recipes. Otherwise, flavors are quite authentic. #zerowaste #plantbased

spice_and_dice

3 days ago

Totally agree on the oil. I find shallow-frying the onions in stages works just as well and makes them crisp up more evenly too. Definitely no need to deep-fry in that much oil at home.