Koshary is Egypt’s national dish: a layered bowl of rice, brown lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas, topped with a spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
Koshary is Egypt’s national dish and one of the most satisfying vegetarian meals you will ever eat. It is a layered bowl of rice, brown lentils, elbow macaroni, and chickpeas, topped with a spiced tomato sauce spiked with vinegar and cumin, then buried under a pile of deeply fried, crispy onions. Every component is cheap and simple on its own. Together, textures and flavors is something special: starchy together, tangy, crunchy, and warming all at once.
This recipe has several components, but none of them are difficult. The lentils, rice, and macaroni all cook separately and get layered in bowls to order, which is exactly how the street vendors in Cairo do it. The tomato sauce is quick: garlic, crushed tomatoes, white vinegar, cumin, coriander, and a pinch of cayenne. The fried onions take the most patience. Three large yellow onions, sliced thin and fried until they are dark golden and shatteringly crisp. Do not rush them. They go from golden to burnt fast, but when done right, they make the entire dish. Everything can be prepped ahead, making this a great option for feeding a crowd. Total time is about an hour, and it serves six generously. We go back for seconds every time, fried onions and all.
Cooking the Components
Cook the lentils in salted water for twenty to twenty-five minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside. Cook the rice according to package directions. Cook the elbow macaroni in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain all three components and set them aside separately. Keeping them separate allows you to assemble the koshary in layers rather than mixing everything into a homogeneous mass.
Frying the Onions and Making the Sauce
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for twelve to fifteen minutes until deeply golden and crispy. Watch them closely at the end. They can go from golden to burnt quickly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt. For the sauce, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for thirty seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes until slightly thickened.
Assembling the Koshary
To assemble, layer the rice in the bottom of each bowl, then add a layer of lentils, then a layer of macaroni. Top with warmed chickpeas. Spoon the spiced tomato sauce generously over everything, then pile the crispy fried onions on top. The layers should be visible, and the crispy onions should crown the dish. Serve immediately.
Koshary is the national dish of Egypt and one of the great comfort foods of the Middle East — a pile of rice, lentils, and pasta topped with a spiced tomato sauce and a mountain of crispy fried onions. It sounds like a strange combination until you eat it, and then it makes total sense. Carbs on carbs on carbs, held together by a tangy, cumin-spiked sauce and the crunch of those golden onions.
Instructions
Cook the lentils in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
Cook the rice in salted water according to package directions. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Fry the onions: heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until deeply golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
Make the tomato sauce: heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Warm the chickpeas in a small saucepan with a splash of water.
Assemble the koshary: layer rice, then lentils, then macaroni in bowls. Top with chickpeas, spoon the tomato sauce generously over everything, and pile the crispy fried onions on top.
Notes
The fried onions are the soul of this dish — do not rush them. Low and slow turns them golden, sweet, and impossibly crunchy.
The vinegar in the sauce is what cuts through all the starch and gives koshary its distinctive tangy kick.
Each component can be made ahead and assembled to order, which is exactly how the street vendors in Cairo do it.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Category:Main Course
Cuisine:Egyptian
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 serving
Calories:460
Sugar:6
Sodium:620
Fat:14
Carbohydrates:70
Fiber:10
Protein:16
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the components ahead?
Yes. Cook the rice, lentils, and pasta up to two days ahead and refrigerate. Warm them before assembling. The fried onions can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Is koshary vegan?
Yes, koshary is naturally vegan as long as you use vegetable oil for frying the onions.
What gives koshary its distinctive flavor?
The vinegar in the tomato sauce is what cuts through all the starch and gives koshary its tangy, distinctive kick. Don’t omit it.
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About the Author
Kalle Bergman
Kalle Bergman is a food writer and media entrepreneur and the founder of Honest Cooking & Travel Magazine. His writing has been regularly featured in publications like Gourmet, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and Serious Eats. He is obsessed with simple food, more often than not from his native Scandinavia or Spain.
