Koshari

Story

Koshari is Egypt's national dish and in 2025 was recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. Its origins are a layered story in themselves: the name likely derives from the Hindi khichri, a lentils-and-rice dish documented in India from at least 1638 and brought to Egypt by Indian troops serving under British command in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The pasta was added by Italian merchants who had settled in Cairo, while Egyptians completed the dish with a vinegared tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. The earliest known written English-language reference is from Richard Burton's 1853 travel memoir, where he describes the breakfast of the people of Suez as lentils, rice, butter, onions, and pickled lemons. Today koshari is sold from dedicated shops and street carts across Egypt and is the country's most democratic meal: cheap, filling, entirely vegan, and eaten by everyone.

Ingredients

• For the lentil rice: 200 g brown or green lentils, rinsed
• For the lentil rice: 200 g short-grain or basmati rice
• For the lentil rice: 80 g dried vermicelli, broken into short lengths
• For the lentil rice: 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• For the lentil rice: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• For the lentil rice: 1 teaspoon salt
• For the pasta: 200 g ditalini or elbow macaroni
• For the chickpeas: 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• For the chickpeas: half a teaspoon ground cumin
• For the fried onions: 3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
• For the fried onions: 2 tablespoons plain flour
• For the fried onions: vegetable oil for shallow frying
• For the tomato sauce: 4 cloves garlic, minced
• For the tomato sauce: 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes or passata
• For the tomato sauce: 2 tablespoons red wine or white vinegar
• For the tomato sauce: 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• For the tomato sauce: half a teaspoon ground coriander
• For the tomato sauce: pinch of chilli flakes
• For the tomato sauce: 1 teaspoon sugar
• For the tomato sauce: salt and black pepper to taste
• For the tomato sauce: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method

• 1. Soak the lentils in cold water for 30 minutes if time allows, then drain and rinse.
• 2. Make the tomato sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, coriander, chilli flakes, and sugar. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
• 3. Make the fried onions: toss the sliced onions with the flour and a pinch of salt. Heat 1 cm of oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Fry the onions in batches, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Reserve the cooking oil.
• 4. Cook the lentils: place in a saucepan with 500 ml of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until just tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.
• 5. Cook the lentil rice: heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved onion oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and toast for 2 minutes until golden. Add the rice, cooked lentils, cumin, salt, and 500 ml of water. Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Leave covered to steam for 5 minutes.
• 6. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain and toss with a little oil.
• 7. Warm the chickpeas in a small pan with the cumin and a pinch of salt.
• 8. To assemble: spoon the lentil rice into bowls as the base layer. Add a portion of pasta, then the chickpeas. Ladle the tomato sauce over the top and finish with a generous handful of crispy fried onions.
• 9. Serve immediately with extra tomato sauce and chilli sauce on the side.

Common questions