| Region | Middle East |
|---|---|
| Country | Egypt |
| Foods | Jasmine rice short pasta Onion canned tomatoes garlic garbanzo bean macaroni lentil |
| Type | staple food light meal |
Koshari (or also spelled kushari) is the national dish of Egypt.
Koshari is one of the genius solutions to use up the kitchen’s ever-present ingredients. It is similar to the Middle Eastern mujadara. In essence, it is a comforting dish that combines aromatic lentils, rice, chickpeas, and a small pasta dish. All of this is covered in a tomato sauce with a dash of vinegar (a truly wonderful flavor!), covered with a vinegared tomato sauce. And they are topped with aromatic, crispy, thinly sliced fried onion rings.
This koshari recipe is time-consuming to make, but each element is very simple to make.
It may not look that appealing, but there is a satisfying depth and texture to this Egyptian home-style dish. You will want to eat more of it!
Ingredients (For 4 servings)
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| For the Crispy Onion Topping | |
| Onion, sliced into thin rounds | 1 large onion |
| Salt | to taste (as needed) |
| Light flour | 1/3 cup |
| oil | 1/2 cup |
| For tomato sauce | |
| oil | as needed |
| Small onion, grated | 1 piece |
| Garlic, minced | 4 cloves |
| coriander powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Crushed red pepper flakes | 1/2 – 1 teaspoon |
| tomato sauce | 2 (800 ml) 400 ml cans |
| salt and pepper | to taste |
| Distilled vinegar | 1 to 2 tablespoons |
| For the koshari | |
| Brown lentils | 1 and 1/2 cups |
| Medium-grain rice, washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes, drained | 1 and 1/2 cups |
| Salt and pepper | 1/2 teaspoon each |
| cilantro | 1/2 teaspoon each |
| Elbow pasta *1 | 2 cups |
| oil | as needed |
| water | as needed |
| Chickpeas (washed, drained and warmed) | 1 can (400ml~450ml) |
- Any short pasta such as macaroni, penne, etc. is acceptable. Long thin pasta folded short is also acceptable.
Instructions
Make the Crispy Onion Topping
sprinkle onion slices with salt and dust with flour to coat. Shake off excess flour.- heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onion slices, and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized brown. The onions should be crispy, but be careful not to burn them (about 15-20 minutes).
Make the tomato sauce
heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a small saucepan. Add the grated onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion is a clear golden brown (be careful not to burn). Next, add the garlic, cilantro, and red pepper flakes (if using) and saute briefly (30-45 seconds) until fragrant.- add the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens (about 15 minutes).
- add the distilled vinegar and reduce the heat. Cover and keep warm until serving.
To make the koshari
cook lentils. Boil lentils and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan or saucepan. Reduce heat and cook until lentils are just tender (about 15-17 minutes). Drain and season with a little salt. (Note: Lentils should be prepared completely uncooked. They should still be slightly firm to cook with the rice.)- prepare the rice. Drain the rice from the water in which it was soaked. Cook lentils and rice in a sauce pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon cooking oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro, stirring regularly for 3 minutes. Add warm water to cover about 4 cm more than the rice and lentils (you will probably use about 3 cups of water here). Bring to a boil and simmer until the water has reduced slightly. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). When finished cooking, let stand covered for about 5 minutes. 3.
- make the pasta. While the rice and lentils cook, cook the elbow pasta according to package directions in boiling water with a pinch of salt and a little oil until al dente. Drain the water.
- warm the chickpeas in the microwave for a short time.
Combine all
Using a fork, fluff the rice and lentils and transfer to a platter. Top with half of the elbow pasta and tomato sauce, then the chickpeas, and finally half of the crispy onions. Serve the remaining sauce and crispy onions separately.
- Reference page (external link)
- Egyptian Koshari Recipe / The Mediterranean Dish external link