Koshary

• Prep time: 25 minutes

• Cook time: 45 minutes

• Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• Servings: 6 servings

• Country of Origin: Egypt

• Description: Egypt's famous national street food consisting of layers of rice, brown lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas topped with spiced tomato sauce, garlic vinegar (Daqqa), and crispy fried onions.

• Presentation & How It's Eaten: Layered high in deep bowls, drizzled generously with warm spicy tomato sauce and garlic-vinegar dressing, topped with a heap of deep-fried crispy onion rings.

• Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white rice

  • 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed

  • 1 cup elbow macaroni

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas

  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (for frying onions)

  • 2 cups tomato sauce

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 tbsp white vinegar

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 3 cups water

• Step-by-Step Directions:

  • Fry Onions: Fry sliced onions in vegetable oil until deep golden brown and crispy; drain on paper towels and reserve fragrant frying oil.

  • Cook Lentils & Rice: Boil lentils in 3 cups water with 1/2 tsp cumin for 15 minutes; stir in white rice, 1 tbsp onion oil, and 1/2 tsp salt, cover and cook 15 minutes until tender.

  • Boil Pasta: Boil elbow macaroni in salted water until al dente; drain and toss with 1 tbsp reserved onion oil.

  • Make Tomato Sauce: Sauté 2 cloves garlic in 1 tbsp onion oil, add tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp cumin, chili flakes, and salt; simmer 10 minutes.

  • Make Daqqa Dressing: Mix remaining minced garlic, white vinegar, 1/4 cup warm water, and 1/4 tsp cumin in a small cup.

  • Assemble: Layer rice and lentils first, then macaroni, topped with warm chickpeas, tomato sauce, crispy onions, and serve Daqqa on the side.

• Optional:

  • Shatta Sauce: Mix cayenne pepper into a small dish of tomato sauce for extreme spice.

• Cooking Tips:

  • Use Onion Oil: Using the oil from frying onions to cook rice and pasta infuses signature savoriness throughout entire dish.

• Nutrition Facts:

  • Calories: ~430 kcal

  • Total Fat: 11g

  • Saturated Fat: 1.5g

  • Cholesterol: 0mg

  • Sodium: 540mg

  • Total Carbohydrates: 72g

  • Dietary Fiber: 9g

  • Sugars: 6g

  • Protein: 14g