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Bowl of koshari with rice, macaroni, chickpeas, and fried onions, topped with tomato sauce. The dish is set on a wooden table, with additional bowls of ingredients around it.

Egyptian Koshari

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Ingredients

For koshari base

  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil or olive oil
  • ⅓ cup vermicelli pasta
  • 1 cup rice (short-grain or medium-grain) Rinse in cold water before cooking
  • 1 ¾ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can cooked brown lentils Or ½ cup dried brown lentils (cooked)
  • ½ pack elbow macaroni or any small pasta, cooked and drained
  • 1 can cooked chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon cumin To flavour chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice To flavour chickpeas

For tomato 'salsa' sauce

  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large or 2 small cans of passata Or diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar

For the 'Dakka' sauce

  • 4-5 garlic cloves (finely minced or crushed)
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup water More or less depending on desired consistency

To garnish

  • Crispy fried onions
  • Sriracha or harissa hot sauce

Instructions

Make the vermicelli rice

  • Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the vermicelli to the pan to lightly toast them. Stir constantly to prevent burning, until the vermicelli turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma (about 2-3 minutes).
  • Once the vermicelli is golden brown, add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir to combine it with the toasted vermicelli. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes to lightly toast the rice.
  • Add water and salt to pot. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and fully cooked.
  • When rice is nearly ready, stir in cooked brown lentils. Cover and set aside.

Cook the Pasta:

  • If you haven't already, boil the pasta in a separate pot of salted water according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Make the tomato sauce:

  • In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté until onions are golden brown and becoming soft.
  • Add the passata or diced tomatoes, cumin, coriander, salt, and white vinegar to the pot. Stir everything together and let the sauce simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare the chickpeas

  • Wash and drain the chickpeas. Heat in a small pot with a small amount of water, cumin and lemon juice. Set aside.

Make the 'Dakka' sauce

  • Add the minced garlic, white vinegar, cumin, ground coriander and salt to a small bowl or glass. Mix well with a fork or spoon. Set aside.

Assemble the koshari

  • In bowls start assembling the koshari (see photos above). Start with the vermicelli rice and brown lentils, followed by cooked pasta, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and finish with crispy onions.
  • Pour the 'dakka' sauce over koshari, start with small amounts and add according to taste. Add sriracha or harissa sauce. Enjoy!

Video

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