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Koshari_ vegan national dish of Egypt
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Koshari-Vegan National dish of Egypt

Koshari is a delicious vegan street food recipe from Egypt. It’s the national dish of Egypt and is very popular in other parts of the world too. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese, Middle East
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
Calories 770kcal

Ingredients

Layer 1 -Rice & Vermicelli

  • cup long-grain rice
  • 4 tbsp vermicelli
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 cups water adjust as required to cook the rice and vermicelli

Layer 2-Lentil

  • cup brown lentil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cups water approximately

Layer 3-Pasta

  • cup elbow macaroni
  • Water to boil macaroni
  • Salt as per taste

Layer 4-chickpeas

  • 1.5 cups boiled/ canned chickpeas

Layer 5- tomato sauce

  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 large tomato finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ tablespoon coriander powder
  • ½ tablespoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • Salt as per taste

Layer 6-Birista (fried onions)

  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon cornflour
  • Oil for frying

Koshari dressing

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • Salt as per taste

Instructions

Layer 1 -Rice & Vermicelli

  • Heat olive oil in a pot, fry onion till it starts turning brown. Add vermicelli and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Wash rice nicely and drain the water. Add rice to the vermicelli pot and fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add in the salt and water. Cook till the rice is done. Keep aside.

Layer 2-Lentil

  • Wash and soak lentil in warm water for 15-20 minutes. In a pot add soaked lentil, water, bay leaf, and salt. Cook till the lentil is 90% done. We don’t want mushy lentil for Koshari.
  • Drain out the excess water with a strainer. Don’t throw away the water. It can be used to cook the rice layer which will add extra flavor to the rice. However, if you are planning to use this water, cook lentil before cooking the rice.

Layer 3- Pasta

  • Add pasta to the boiling water and cook al dente. Keep aside.

Layer 4- Chickpeas

  • Take the boiled/ canned chickpeas in a bowl and warm it in a microwave before serving.

Layer 5- Tomato sauce

  • In a saucepan put all the ingredients of the sauce and cook for around 15 minutes. Switch off the gas and keep the sauce aside.

Layer 6 – Birista (Fried onions)

  • Thinly slice one onion, sprinkle some cornflour, and mix well. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the onions till they turn golden brown.
  • Take out the onions on a tissue paper and spread the onion strings when they are still hot otherwise they will stick together. Let them come to room temperature.

Serving

  • Take a serving plate and spread a layer of rice & vermicelli on it. Put lentil on top of it followed by pasta, chickpeas, sauce, and fried onions. Pour dressing at the end depending on your taste.
  • Serve warm and enjoy the awesome national dish of Egypt. While eating dig into the lowest layer and ensure that each spoon has a bit of every layer and dressing on it.

Nutrition

Calories: 770kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 966IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 6mg