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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

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients Method Video

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

Method
 

Make the vermicelli rice
  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. When rice is nearly ready, stir in cooked brown lentils. Cover and set aside.
Cook the Pasta:
  1. 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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
  1. 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.
  2. Pour the 'dakka' sauce over koshari, start with small amounts and add according to taste. Add sriracha or harissa sauce. Enjoy!

Video