Koshari

Egypt's beloved national street food: a mountain of rice, pasta, lentils, and crispy onions drowned in spiced tomato sauce and sharp vinegar

Origin: Egypt

From the journey of Lentils.

Koshari is Egypt's national dish and one of the great street foods of the world. It is sold from carts and specialist restaurants across Cairo and Alexandria, ladled into deep bowls at extraordinary speed by vendors who mix the layers to order. Its origins are disputed (some trace it to Indian khichdi brought by British colonial troops, others to the Italian influence in Alexandria) but it is wholly Egyptian now, eaten by rich and poor alike. The combination of carbohydrates is intentional: the different textures of short-grain rice, pasta, and black lentils create a dish greater than its components.

Ingredients

Base

200 g black or green lentils
300 g short-grain white rice
200 g macaroni or small pasta tubes
200 g vermicelli noodles

Crispy onions

3 large onions, sliced into thin rings
100 ml vegetable oil, for frying

Tomato sauce

800 g canned crushed tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp ground coriander
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Vinegar dressing

60 ml red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin

Method

Cook the lentils in plenty of salted water for 20–25 minutes until tender but holding their shape. Drain and set aside.
For the crispy onions: heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Fry the onion rings in batches for 12–15 minutes until deep golden-brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels, season with salt. They will crisp further as they cool.
For the tomato sauce: heat olive oil, add garlic and spices, stir 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until thick and intense. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar if needed.
For the vinegar dressing: combine the vinegar, garlic, and cumin in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. In the same pot, lightly toast the vermicelli in a little oil until golden, then cook the rice according to packet directions, adding the vermicelli to the pot with the rice.
To assemble: layer the rice-vermicelli, then the pasta, then the lentils in a large serving bowl. Top with the hot tomato sauce, then the crispy onions. Serve the vinegar dressing on the side for drizzling.

Notes

The name koshari may derive from the Hindi khichdi, the rice-and-lentil dish of the Indian subcontinent; brought to Egypt by Indian soldiers in the British colonial army in the 19th century, then adapted with pasta (an Italian-Alexandrian touch) and the assertive tomato sauce that is uniquely Egyptian.

The Gastrographer

Name: Koshari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Egypt
Ingredients: 200 g black or green lentils; 300 g short-grain white rice; 200 g macaroni or small pasta tubes; 200 g vermicelli noodles; 3 large onions, sliced into thin rings; 100 ml vegetable oil, for frying; 800 g canned crushed tomatoes; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp ground coriander; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 60 ml red wine vinegar; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control