My Egyptian-inspired Koshari Recipe is a labor of love, layering chickpeas, lentils, pasta, rice, crispy onions, and three signature sauces together on one plate. Jam-packed with flavor and carbs, it’s no wonder that it’s Egypt’s national dish.
One of my favorite things about making my own versions of recipes from around the world is discovering how other cultures define “comfort.” If you also enjoy trying comfort foods from around the globe, you should try my popular Filipino Chicken Adobo and this Italian Cioppino Recipe.
The National Dish of Egypt
Koshari (or Koshary or Kushari) is a legendary Egyptian street food found on nearly every corner in Cairo. Layers of vermicelli, rice, lentils, chickpeas, and macaroni are topped with a zesty, garlic-infused tomato sauce, a mountain of crispy fried onions, and its signature sauces: tangy da’ah and spicy shatta.
My koshari recipe isn’t just a (long) list of ingredients; it’s a tribute to my friend, Joseph, who grew up in Egypt. He told me stories of swinging by street vendors after school for a $1 (!!) bowl of this iconic meal, and when his family finally shared the dish with me a few years ago, I was instantly hooked.
I won’t lie to you—this is the kind of recipe we in the biz call a “culinary marathon” that almost always ends with a stack of pots in the sink. The process requires some organization, but there’s nothing technical about it—I’ll walk you through it, step by step. It’s a labor of love that pays off with a bold, savory, and complex comfort food.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients list for my koshari recipe is on the longer side, so make a list before you head to the store. I bought most of what I needed from my local grocery store and Middle Eastern market.
Accompaniments
- Chickpeas – Canned chickpeas are convenient, but I prefer to boil dry chickpeas on the stove. It’s easy and hands-free.
- Lentils – Again, I like cooking dry brown lentils from scratch because they taste so much better than canned.
- Pasta – I mixed small elbow macaroni with the rice and lentils.
- Da’Ah – My bright and punchy Da’Ah Sauce is the best finishing touch.
- Shatta – This spicy, chili-garlic sauce traditionally takes 3 days to ferment, but my Quick Shatta Sauce is faster.
Tomato Sauce
- Oil – I used olive oil to sauté the aromatics.
- Aromatics – A yellow onion and garlic cloves.
- Spices – I made the sauce with ground cumin and Aleppo pepper flakes for a subtle, fruity warmth. Red pepper flakes will work as a substitute if you can’t find Aleppo pepper.
- Tomatoes – Tomato paste thickens the sauce, and I used canned San Marzano tomatoes as the base.
- Vinegar – I used white distilled vinegar.
Fried Onions
- Onions – I went with yellow onions because of their high sugar content, which is exactly what we need for caramelization. White onions will also work.
- Flour – I coated the julienned onions in salt-seasoned all-purpose flour to absorb any excess moisture.
- Oil – Any neutral high-heat oil will work.
Vermicelli Rice
- Oil – I toasted the vermicelli and rice in high-quality olive oil, but clarified butter will work just as well.
- Vermicelli – To make the koshari as authentic as possible, I used short-cut wheat-based vermicelli.
- Rice – Egyptian rice is obviously the classic choice, but any medium-grain, slightly sticky white rice is fine here.
- Water – I cooked the rice and noodles in salted water.
How to Make Koshari
By preparing this dish in this specific order, everything will be timed just right:
Cook the chickpeas and lentils: I always start by simmering the chickpeas and lentils in two separate pots on the stove because they take the longest.
Make the serving sauces: While the legumes simmer, I make the da’ah and shatta sauces.
Start the tomato sauce: Next, I start on the spiced tomato sauce by sautéing the onions in a medium pot with oil and salt. Once they start browning, I reduce the heat and leave them to caramelize.
Add the flavor: I sauté the garlic with the onions and then stir in the cumin and pepper flakes.
Add the tomatoes: Next, I pincer the tomato paste in the pot before pouring in the crushed tomatoes along with some water. I simmer the sauce for a few minutes, then finish it with the vinegar.
Fry the onions: First, I toss the onions in a bowl with salt and flour, then add them to a large frying pan with oil. I fry the flour-coated onions until they’re golden, then immediately transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Boil the macaroni: While the onions are frying, I cook the macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Toast the vermicelli and rice: Next, I toast the vermicelli noodles in a large pan with olive oil until golden brown. I add the rice and toast the grains.
Simmer the rice and noodles: I add water and salt to the pan with the noodles and rice, bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer until the rice is fluffy.
Assemble: To layer koshari, I start by adding a generous bed of vermicelli and rice to a plate. I layer the lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce, and chickpeas on top.
Garnish and serve: To finish, I drizzle the da’ah and shatta over the top. Then, I crown the dish with a pile of crispy onions right before serving.
Chef Tip + Notes
I can’t stress enough how many moving parts there are in this recipe. Having everything in its place before you do anything is the difference between a stress-free kitchen and total chaos. I start by simmering the dry chickpeas and lentils since they take about 90 minutes to cook through. That gives me a little time to prepare the sauces, slice the onions, mince the garlic, and measure out the spices. Maintain this organization, and you’ll find that each step will be timed perfectly.
- The key to crispy onions: I heat the oil to 350°F–375°F and don’t crowd the onions in the pan. Frying too many onions at once causes the oil’s temperature to drop, which means sad, floppy onions.
- Cook the lentils and rice separately: Egyptian street vendors often cook the rice and lentils in one pot, but I recommend cooking them separately. This keeps the lentils tender and the rice fluffy.
- Let your rice rest: After fluffing it with a fork and turning off the heat, I let the rice sit uncovered for a few minutes.
- Optional protein: Koshari is traditionally vegan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t top it with your favorite protein, such as chicken shawarma, seasoned ground beef, or pulled lamb.
Serving Suggestions
If you were at a busy street stall in Cairo, your koshari would come in a personal takeout bowl. You could then top it with as much da’ah or shatta as you like.
I prefer to serve it family-style with the rice, lentils, macaroni, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and crispy onions neatly assembled on one massive platter and the sauces on the side.
For a full-on feast, I like to pair it with homemade pita and a crisp salad on the side, like my Middle Eastern salad.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: There’s a lot involved with this dish, so I like to make the sauces at least 1 day in advance and the chickpeas, lentils, and rice up to 2 days in advance.
How to Store: The chickpeas, rice, pasta, and lentils can be stored together in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. I recommend storing the sauces and crispy onions in separate containers to prevent everything from getting soggy.
How to Reheat: Gently warm the sauces on the stovetop and microwave the chickpeas, rice, and lentils until warmed through. Once everything is hot, layer it with freshly boiled pasta and crispy onions.
More Middle Eastern and North African Recipes
Video
Koshari Recipe
Ingredients
Accompaniments:
- 1 how to cook chickpeas recipe, substitute with 2 15-ounce cans drained and rinsed
- 1 Da’Ah recipe, garlic vinegar sauce
- 1 Shatta recipe, optional spicy sauce
- 1 how to cook lentils recipe
- 1 pound macaroni pasta, boiled, rinsed, and oiled
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ peeled small-diced yellow onion
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch red pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes
- 1 to 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 28- ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
For the Fried Onions:
- 2 peeled and julienne small to medium-sized yellow onions
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Follow this cooking order to ensure everything is timed perfectly. In addition, things like the Da’Ah, Shatta, lentils, or chickpeas may be cooked a day ahead and reheated before serving this koshari.
- Prepare the chickpeas. Be sure to see how to make the recipe at this link. After they boil, you will have about 90 minutes to prepare all the Da’Ah sauce, optional Shatta sauce, tomato sauce, and fried onions.
- Follow this recipe to make Da’Ah sauce.
- Follow this recipe to make the optional Shatta sauce.
For the Tomato Sauce:
- Add the olive oil to a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
- Place the onions in the pot, gently season with salt, and saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Then turn the heat down to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until well browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds. Next, stir in the cumin and pepper flakes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until it turns a rust-like color. This is known as pincer.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes. I usually add about 1/3 cup of water to the can to swish it around, getting all the tomato remnants off and into the pot.
- Cook on low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Finish with the vinegar. Cover and set to the side. If it gets too cold, just reheat when you’re ready to serve.
For the Fried Onions:
- Add the onions to a bowl, season with salt, and mix to combine and season.
- Next, sprinkle in the flour and toss until coated.
- Pour the oil into an extra-large frying pan or rondeau over medium-high heat.
- Place the onions in the pot and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the pan, until the onions are well caramelized, brown, and crispy. They should be very dark in color. Drain them on paper towels until they are ready to be used.
- At this stage, prepare the lentils.
For the Pasta:
- While the lentils are cooking, add the macaroni to a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook according to the package directions for al dente pasta.
- Drain and rinse under cool water until they are about room temperature.
- Transfer to a pot or bowl and drizzle in the olive oil. Mix to combine and cover with a pot or a bowl.
For the Rice:
- In a medium-sized saucier pan, add the olive oil and over low to medium heat, add in the vermicelli and toast just until lightly browned. This will only take about 2 minutes.
- Next, add in the rice and toast for 3 to 4 minutes until a good amount of the rice is milky white.
- Next, pour in the water, add the salt, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low, add a lid, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and fluff the rice using a fork. Let it stand for 3 to 4 minutes uncovered and serve
To Plate:
- Place a bed of cooked rice on a plate or in a bowl.
- Add on some lentils, followed by some of the macaroni pasta, and then the tomato sauce and chickpeas.
- Drizzle with either the Da’ah or Shatta sauce.
- Top off with crispy caramelized onions.
Koshari Recipe