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A close up of Koshari with rice, chickpeas and lentils on a plate
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4.85 from 72 votes

Egyptian Koshari

Koshary, koshari or kushari is one of the traditional Egyptian food. This dish is considered the national dish of Egypt and a very popular street food. Egyptian koshari recipe is one of the easy Egyptian recipes.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Egyptian
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 563kcal
Author: Amira

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups of short grain rice.
  • 1 package 16 oz dry Pasta, preferably Ditalini or elbow.
  • 2 Tablespoon oil.
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.

For the Lentils:

  • 2 cups dry brown lentils.
  • Water to cover lentils.
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
  • 1 medium onion chopped.
  • 1 can 16oz tomato sauce.
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

For the Vermicelli :

  • ½ packet 15.87 oz Vermicelli.
  • 3 Tablespoon olive oil or butter.
  • 1 cup water.
  • Salt to taste.

For the Chickpeas:

  • 1 cup dry chickpeas.
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
  • Water.
  • Or you can use a can of chickpeas.

For the tomato sauce:

  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic crushed.
  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil.
  • ¼ cup white vinegar.*
  • 2 cans 16oz tomato sauce.
  • Salt to taste.

For the Cumin Sauce (Kamouneyah):

  • 1 teaspoon garlic crushed.
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin.
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
  • ¼ cup water.
  • ¼ cup vinegar.
  • Salt.

For the fried onion:

  • 3 Large onions sliced.
  • Oil for frying.

Instructions

  • If you are using dry chickpeas, soak them in cold water overnight with ¼ teaspoons baking soda.
  • Cook Pasta in enough salty water according to package directions, drain then add 2 Tablespoon of oil and adjust seasoning. Mix everything together and set aside.
  • Prepare rice as indicated on your package and set aside.

Prepare lentils:

  • Put lentils in a colander and wash thoroughly under running cold water.
  • Place lentils in a pot covered with cold water and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and cook for 25-30 minutes until just al dente making sure to check on water level and add water whenever necessary.
  • Drain but do not rinse and in the same pot saute onion in oil until fragrant.
  • Add lentils back to the pot with tomato sauce and season.
  • Continue cooking until done and set aside.

Cook vermicelli :

  • In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add oil and vermicelli cook until vermicelli turns golden brown.
  • Add water little by little and stir until you get the desired tenders.
  • Season with salt.

Cook chickpeas:

  • Drain soaked chickpeas and wash well with running water.
  • Place chickpeas in a pot, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat and continue cooking 60-90 minutes until the desired tenderness reached.
  • Make sure to check on water level and add water whenever necessary.

Make tomato sauce:

  • In a medium sauce pan, sauté garlic in oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add vinegar, tomato sauce, water and salt then mix well.

Make Cumin sauce:

  • In a small sauce pan, sauté garlic and cumin together until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add vinegar, water then taste to adjust salt.

Fried onions:

  • In a deep pot, add oil to cover the bottom by 1 inch.
  • Add onion slices and cook on medium-high stirring every now and then making sure not to burn the onions.
  • Take onions out on a plate lined with kitchen paper towel.
  • Set aside, it will Harden and get crispier.
  • Take 2 Tablespoons of the cooking oil and stir them in the cooked rice. This step is optional but highly recommended as it gives the rice shine and taste.

To assemble:

  • You can let everyone take of each of the ingredients as he likes or make what is called tarabeesh (domes) by packing ingredients tightly in a bowl then invert it on plates. Top with onion and sauces.

Video

Notes

* I’ve developed a habit of making the tomato sauce with no vinegar and put a little extra vinegar in the cumin sauce, this was made to suit my family as one of my kids does not like the taste of vinegar in the sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Egyptian Koshari
Amount Per Serving
Calories 563 Calories from Fat 133
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.8g23%
Saturated Fat 1.7g11%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 9.2g
Sodium 782.1mg34%
Potassium 390mg11%
Carbohydrates 98.8g33%
Fiber 13.7g57%
Sugar 7.5g8%
Protein 15.6g31%
Vitamin A 355IU7%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 17mg2%
Iron 3.1mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 98.8g | Protein: 15.6g | Fat: 14.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.2g | Sodium: 782.1mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 13.7g | Sugar: 7.5g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 3.1mg