I’m kicking off my regional classics series with the very popular Egyptian Koshari.
Koshari is a naturally vegan dish made with lentil rice (Macchaire), pasta, a tomato sauce and crispy onions.
It is topped with a garlic cumin vinaigrette (known as a de2a) to bring all the flavours together. You can also have optional chickpeas but I find them a bit heavy.
Koshari wasn’t something I really had growing up until an Egyptian neighbour shared the recipe with my mum, who of course made it with an authentic touch.
Now my children really love it too, so it’s a regular feature in my house, and although it uses a million pans it’s really worth it!
Koshari also reminds me of Lebanese chickpea fatteh in that it combines multiple elements so if you’re a fan give that a go.
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Instructions
Preparation is the key to making koshari. Make the elements that will stay warm first and you could even prepare some the day before.
- Make the cumin vinaigrette with garlic, white vinegar, hot water and a pinch of cumin, coriander and paprika
- Toss sliced onions in cornflour and deep fry, set aside
- Make fresh tomato sauce and blitz
- Sauté the vermicelli in oil until golden
- Add the vermicelli to the lentil rice and cook for 20 mins
- Cook the pasta, drain and add a little oil to avoid sticking
- Layer the pasta on top of the lentil rice, add tomato sauce
- Top with the crispy onions and drizzle on the vinaigrette.
Top Tips
I start with the fresh tomato sauce and although some recipes increase the spices, I keep it simple with a little black pepper and oregano.
I don’t want the tomato sauce fighting with the other flavours.
I don’t make too much pasta as it’s easy to make a fresh batch the next day.
You can keep the garlic vinaigrette in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Call everyone to the table when you have all the elements ready so you can assemble it just before they eat.
I love to layer it all up on a big platter and everyone can take some, rather than putting individual bowls.
I don’t always drizzle the vinaigrette on top, but leave it up to everyone to decide how much they want, as kids can sometimes find it overpowering.
Koshari is such a comforting and nutritious meal, and it’s fun just like most Egyptians, so give it a try and you will fall in love with it too.
📖 Recipe
Recipe Koshari
Egyptian street food classic
Ingredients
For the cumin vinaigrette
-
1
cup
hot water -
1-2
garlic cloves
minced -
2
tablespoon
white vinegar -
1
lemon
juiced -
pinch
cumin -
pinch
dried coriander -
pinch
paprika -
pinch
salt
For the lentil rice
-
1
cup
vermicelli -
1
cup
brown lentils -
5
cups
cold water -
1
cup
short grain rice -
1
teaspoon
salt approx -
¼
teaspoon
cumin -
¼
teaspoon
7 spice
For the tomato sauce and pasta
-
4-6
fresh tomatoes - small squeeze tomato concentrate
-
pinch
dried oregano - salt
-
2
cups
macaroni
For the crispy onions
-
3
onions
thinly sliced -
3
tablespoons
cornflour - vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
For the cumin vinaigrette
-
In a small pot add a small drizzle of oil, sauté the minced garlic for 2 mins on low heat, then add the hot water, white vinegar, cumin, salt, paprika and dried coriander
-
Simmer for five minutes then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Set aside.
For the lentil rice
-
In a small pan, add a good drizzle of vegetable oil to the vermicelli and sauté until golden.
-
In a large pot, add 5 cups of cold water to 1 cup of lentils and bring to the boil
-
After 25 minutes add the rice and vermicelli, along with the cumin, salt and 7 spice. Lower the heat to a simmer for around 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
For the tomato sauce and pasta
-
In a small pot, add a drizzle of mild olive oil with the roughly chopped tomatoes, tomato concentrate, salt, black pepper and oregano, cook on medium heat
-
After 20 mins, blitz the sauce with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside.
-
Cook the pasta in a separate pot according to packet instructions. Drain and add a little oil to prevent sticking, then set aside.
For the crispy onions
-
Toss the sliced onions in the cornflour. Heat up a deep pan with vegetable oil and once the oil is hot, deep fry the onions until crispy. Drain on a paper lined plate and set aside.
To assemble
-
On a platter, add a layer of rice, then pasta, then tomato sauce and top with the crispy onions. Finally drizzle on a little cumin vinaigrette and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
You can also add chickpeas. Simply heat up a can of chickpeas and drain before adding a layer on the pasta.
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Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve after koshari.