koshary

One of the most popular street foods in Egypt, worth every step!

Recipe for Koshary: an Egyptian National Dish

chickpeas

oz ditalini (cooked according to package instructions)

onions

tsp kosher salt

cornstarch

Vegetable oil

tbsp onions

vegetable oil

garlic

tomato paste

tomato sauce

water

salt and pepper

tbsp white vinegar

cayenne pepper (optional)

lentils

rice

vermicelli (see notes)

HOT water

cumin (optional)

tsp cumin

salt (more

tsp black pepper

Slice onions thin. Sprinkle salt and cornstarch. Toss together. 

Add vegetable oil to a large deep pan to cover the bottom by 1-inch. Fry at 350 degree F. stirring every now and then, onions should be nice and golden brown,  Approximately 10-12 minutes. Reserve oil!

Line a plate with a paper towel. Add onions in a single layer and let drain on the paper towel. Set aside to harden.

Fried Onions

In a saucepan on medium heat add oil, and garlic. Sautè until fragrant. approximately 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Add onions, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cover, let simmer for 15 minutes.

Tomato Sauce

In an enameled dutch oven or heavy pot on medium high heat, add oil with the fried onions, lentils, and 1 tbsp salt. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Keep heat on medium high, (it should be a gentle boil) for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the lentils are al-dente. *DO NOT DRAIN WATER.

Stir in rice, vermicelli, hot water, and additional tablespoon salt.(Option to add Cumin*) Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat low for 12-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Fluff with a fork.

Rice and Lentils

All the ingredients in a measuring cup. Whisk to combine.

Cumin Sauce

Koshary is all about the layering! Add the rice with lentil mixture as the base, top with cooked pasta, chickpeas, and fried onions. Drizzle with tomato sauce and cumin sauce.

A great option for serving: Arrange all the ingredients on the table and everyone can assemble with all there favorite toppings!

Assembly

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1662743400/iJ9ObyJX3.mp4

Koshary Recipe

Koshary, a traditional Egyptian dish, this hearty plant-based dish is made from a mix of lentils, rice, GF pasta, and chickpeas topped with a spicy tomato sauce and fried onions for a slightly crispy finish. It is the perfect combination of carbs, protein, and vegetables, making it the perfect Vegan meal that everyone will enjoy.

Gluten-free Koshary Recipe

chickpeas (soaked overnight)

bay leaves

water (enough

salt & pepper (to taste)

cumin powder

½ kg Egyptian rice (rinsed & drained)

brown lentils (soaked

vermicelli noodles (gluten-free)

olive oil

tsp bouillon powder

tsp salt

spaghetti (gluten-free)

elbow posta (gluten-free)

ditalini pasta (gluten-free)

red onions (big size)

frying oil

passata

sweet red pepper paste

coriander powder

thyme

bay leave

clove powder

¼ tsp chili powder

lemons (juiced)

white vinegar

salt

tsp chili powder

¼ cup from the Daqa sauce.

Drain the soaked chickpeas and rinse under cold water.

Transfer to a pan and add enough water to soak them for boiling.

Let them boil and skim the white foam once it&#39;s formed. Add bay leave and lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer till it&#39;s cooked, will take about 35 minutes to cook.

Once it&#39;s cooked, turn the heat off and add salt, pepper, and cumin powder, mix and set it aside to cool.

Instructions for cooking chickpeas:

While the chickpeas are cooking, start with the lentil rice.

Mix washed and drained rice with the soaked and drained brown lentils in a bowl and set aside.

Add olive oil to a hot pan, add vermicelli, and mix. keep stirring the vermicelli in the hot oil till it is golden brown. Gluten-free vermicelli will turn white first before it turns golden brown, it will take around 9 minutes to brown so be patient and keep stirring.

Add the lentil rice to the golden brown vermicelli and stir, it is important to keep stirring for 4-5 minutes before you add the water. Add water, and the seasoning and stir. let it boil, turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer on low heat. It will take around 30-35 minutes till the lentil rice is cooked.

Cook the pastas according to the package instructions. Once cooked transfer to a pan and add olive oil and stir them . Make sure not to over cook the gluten free pasta so it wont stick , adding olive oil and the end will keep it fluff and it wont stick while the rest of ingredients are cooking.

Instructions for making lentil rice:

While the rice is cooking start with the onions. Using a Mandoline slicer or sharp knife, slice the onions into very thin slices. Using your fingers separate the onion slices so they won&#39;t stick while frying.

Heat the frying oil in a pan and add the onion slices, using a skimmer keep mixing the onion slices so it wont stick. fry into batches, it will take 10-12 minutes to have a perfectly golden brown onion. Transfer to a kitchen paper towel to drain excess oil.

Instructions for cooking the fried onion:

Heat oil in a pan and add the minced garlic , fry for few seconds and add coriander powder, mix and add white vinegar. let it fry for 2 minutes then add tomato paste and sweet red pepper paste and mix.

Add Passata and mix everything together, add salt and pepper and all the spices. let it boil for couple of minutes then put heat on low , cover the pan and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Instructions for making the tomato sauce:

In a medium size bowl , mix the lemon juice, vinegar, minced garlic, salt, cumin and coriander powder. Add water and mix to combine. set aside.

Instructions for making Daqa sauce:

Take 2 cups of the cooked tomato sauce and add to a medium size bowl. Add olive oil and chili powder and mix to combine. take ¼cup of the prepared Daqa sauce and mix it all together till all combined. set aside.

Now that all koshary elements are cooked and its ready to assemble koshary dish. Start with the lentil rice, top with the pastas, then tomato sauce and fried onion, layer the cooked chickpeas, and drizzle the spicy and daqa sauce when serving. Enjoy.

Instructions for making spicy tomato sauce:

Egypt’s national dish, this koshari recipe makes a comforting meal of pasta, rice, lentils, and crispy onions with a garlic tomato sauce.

Egyptian Koshari Recipe + Video

flour

basmati rice

tbsp Baharat Spice Blend (divided (See Note 2))

elbow macaroni

tomato passata/sauce

oz cooked chickpeas (rinsed)

tbsp red wine vinegar ((or red grape vinegar))

parsley (minced)

shatta sauce

Garlic Sauce (Toum)

Garlic Clove

It has a rich onion taste and is fit for food dishes like French onion soup. Yellow onions are typically available throughout the year. This onion is higher in sulphur than the white onion, which gives it a stronger, more complex flavour. A dozen varieties of yellow onion are grown, following the time of year....

yellow onion

Red wine vinegar

In a large, deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl toss the thinly sliced onions with the flour. Working in batches, fry onions until a dark golden brown. Drain on paper towel lined plate. Season with salt and repeat with remaining onions. Set aside.

Crispy Onions

Rice: Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. In a saucepan bring 1 1/2 cups water and a teaspoon of kosher salt to a boil. Add rice, 1 tablespoon Baharat Spice Blend, stir and cover. Bring heat to low and cook 18 minutes. Set aside.

Lentils: In a saucepan bring 4 cups water and a teaspoon each of kosher salt and Baharat Spice Blend to a boil. Add lentils and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Macaroni: In a saucepan bring 3 cups water and a teaspoon of kosher salt to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Tomato Sauce Chickpeas: In a saucepan over medium heat add the oil. Saute the garlic for 1 minute and add the tomato passata/sauce, salt, remaining 2 teaspoons Baharat Spice Blend and cooked chickpeas. Turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes covered partially. Stir in the red wine vinegar and parsley. Set aide.

Koshari

Options are to layer for great presentation OR mix all together reserving crispy onions to go on top.

For Layered Presentation: In a large bowl transfer half of the crispy onions and place on bottom of bowl. Top with the Tomato Chickpea mixture, then the cooked elbow macaroni, then the cooked lentils, and finally the last layer is the cooked basmati rice. Gently press down with spatula to firm up the koshari for presentation when flipped.

Cover the bowl with a large plate or platter (larger than bowl width). Carefully and confidently grab each side, holding both plate and bowl sides and flip away from you and firmly shake and place plate side down on counter top. The koshari should release itself. Top with more crispy onions, chopped parsley and enjoy. Serve with hot sauce (Shatta) and garlic sauce (Toum).

I made and shared this for an Egyptian-themed potluck today and we all liked it very much. I served it with toum, which was yummy. Couldn't find a source for shatta sauce. Glad you gave a recipe for Baharat spice blend because I couldn't find any ready-made. Two questions for you. First, at what temperature is the dish intended to be served? Room temperature? Secondly, should left-overs be refrigerated? If not, how long will it stay safe to eat at room temperature? Thanks.

hey, just wondering what the song was in the video. made it and it was great!

I love this recipe and especially with the Shatta sauce from your recommendations. I have no idea why this particular combination of layers and flavors is so delicious but it is! Probably the best vegan dish I've ever had. To make it easier I use the steamed lentils from Trader Joes which are perfect as is. I've made it 3 times and everyone raved about how good it was.

This was fabulous!  You can prepare the sauces and several layers in advance, and heat them up before layering in a bowl and flipping over.  Such great flavor!

I accidentally perfected it guys. At fast I was worried because I didn't put the bahati spice as directed. So I ended up doing my own order by putting the spices in the rice. For the tomato sauce, I didn't put in the chickpeas, I made it separately everyone served to their plates. I made the tomato sauce with olive oil,garlic, tomato sauce, bahati spice and ACV instead of wine vinegar

I love this recipe! In Cairo there’s a very famous no-frills restaurant which is maybe 4 or 5 storeys high . It’s called Abo Tarek and  it’s always hard getting a table there especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
This recipe is very similar to the one I’ve tried there , and I am so happy that I can make it in my own kitchen.
Red grape vinegar sold in Egypt is often used in as it is readily available.   Great recipe! Thank you Kevin.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nearly koshari as we never use wine in cooking instead we use vinegar with garlic which we call TASH'A also we use hot sauce and garlic sauce.

So good and so beautiful, what a hit at the table family loved it.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/4eBqaqQi.mp4

Koshari is a comforting meatless dish of pasta, rice, and lentils in spicy tomato sauce. Make this recipe for Egypt’s national dish soon!

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.

Egyptian Koshari

short grain rice.

(16 oz dry Pasta, preferably Ditalini or elbow.)

Tablespoon oil.

Salt

dry brown lentils.

Water lentils.

Tablespoons olive oil.

onion

(16 ounces tomato sauce.)

cumin.

Salt and pepper

(15.87 oz Vermicelli.)

water.

dry chickpeas.

baking soda.

Water.

garlic (crushed.)

olive oil.

white vinegar.*

tomato sauce.)

Tablespoon ground cumin.

vinegar.

Salt.

Large onions (sliced.)

If you are using dry chickpeas, soak them in cold water overnight with 1/4 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.

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.

Prepare lentils:

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 vermicelli :

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.

Cook chickpeas:

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 tomato sauce:

In a small sauce pan, sauté garlic and cumin together until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add vinegar, water then taste to adjust salt.

Make Cumin sauce:

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.

Fried onions:

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.

To assemble:

I've made this so many times for my egyptian husband. It brings comfort of home to him, like many of your other recipes on here do. Thank you!

Hi Amira, I'm Egyptian,  born in Alexandria.   The last time I had kochi was over 30 years ago.   Mommy would make it for special occasions.  She recently passed, and all my favorite recipes with her.   I am so happy that I found you ❤️! I just made it and enjoying every single bite.  Thank you so much for reminding me of wonderful family gatherings!

I make this for my Egyptian grandfather and he's always so impressed. My grandmother passed away this past October and I've used so many of your recipes to provide some comfort to my Grandfather with food. Your site is a wonderful resource that I return to almost daily! Thank you!

I absolutely love your recipes!  Here you have painted a great portrait of koshari, explained different variations people might find, and given lots of great tips so people can cook this successfully.  And THANK YOU for including the da'ah/kamouniyyah.  I can't believe the number of recipes that don't even mention that.  Thanks again!

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1525373249/zjix1dwcckrcesjfaq5y.mp4

KOSHARI; THE NATIONAL DISH OF EGYPT
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.

KOSHARI; THE NATIONAL DISH OF EGYPT

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