Koshari (the National Dish of Egypt)

What is Koshari?

Koshari is a delicious carb-packed Egyptian recipe. It is so popular, it has become Egypt’s official national dish! It’s not the best if you’re on a diet but when you’re craving a hearty aromatic meal, seek no further than this!

What goes into Koshari?

Koshari consists of many different elements, layered on top of each other to create a beautiful and elegant masterpiece of a meal.

It starts with a base of rice (which I prefer making with a cinnamon stick to impart aromaticity. You then add macaroni (the Italian element), then a unique tomato-spice mixture, then some cooked lentils. Finally, you add some boiled chickpeas and top off with sweet, caramelized fried onions.

You end up with a final product consisting of complex tastes, smells, and textures that all blend together for a unique flavorful experience.

What do you think?

What is your favorite way to make Koshari? Any different ingredient preferences? Is this truly a traditional way of making Koshari or have we deviated somehow? We’d love to know your thoughts so let us know in the comments below!

Other Similar Recipes to Try

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out our posts on Moroccan Cooking and Ethiopian Cuisine. They’re packed full of similarly flavorful recipes and offer a few helpful cooking tips along the way!

Koshari: the National Dish of Egypt

Koshari is a famous Egyptian street food dish that combines elements of Italian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisine.

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Egyptian, Middle Eastern

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

Koshari

• 2 cups rice
• 2 cups elbow pasta
• 2 cups brown lentils
• 1 large red onion minced
• 2 large red onions thinly sliced
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 16 oz can chickpeas
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Spice Mixture

• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• ½ tbsp black pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Instructions

 

• Mix together all of the spices to create the spice mixture. Heat a pan on medium heat and saute the minced onion with olive oil, one cinnamon stick, and a pinch of salt. When the onion starts to caramelize, add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. At this point, add in the tomato puree along with half of the spice mixture. Bring the heat down to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes.
• While the tomato sauce is simmering, cook the rice according to package instructions but add a cinnamon stick and the spices to the water. When cooked, mix in a drizzle of olive oil.
• Also, cook the elbow pasta according to package instructions and meanwhile, cook the canned chickpeas in boiling water for 3-5 minutes before drying them and tossing with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the brown lentils according to package instructions.
• In another pan, bring ½ cup oil to medium-high heat and then add in the sliced onions. Fry them for a few minutes until they become golden brown before letting them cool and dry on paper towels.
• At last, it is time to assemble the koshari. Start with a base of rice, then the cooked elbow pasta, then the tomato sauce, then lentils, then chickpeas before topping with the fried onions.

Keyword Pasta, Street Food, vegetarian

Recommended Amazon Products for this Recipe:

This page may contain Amazon Affiliate links that earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you. We only show products we personally use in our kitchen. See our disclaimer for more information.