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Egypt (Cairo) · Egyptian

Koshari (Egyptian Rice, Lentils, Pasta and Crispy Onions)

Egypt's national dish and ultimate comfort food: a glorious carb-on-carb layering of rice, brown lentils and macaroni topped with chickpeas, a garlicky-spiced tomato sauce, a sharp vinegar daqqa, and a mountain of crispy fried onions.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 24, 2026

A deep bowl of Egyptian koshari layered with rice and brown lentils, macaroni and chickpeas under a red spiced tomato sauce, crowned with a tall heap of golden crispy fried onions.

Koshari (or koshary) is the undisputed national dish of Egypt — street food sold from dedicated koshari shops and carts, ladled into bowls in great assembled layers. Its roots are often traced to the 19th century, blending Indian rice-and-lentils (kichari), Italian pasta, and Middle Eastern pulses into something wholly Egyptian. Vegan by nature and cheap to make, it's the great democratic meal of Cairo.

Yield
Serves 6
Prep
30 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 15 min
Difficulty
Intermediate

Koshari is Egypt’s national dish and one of the great comfort foods of the world — a glorious, unapologetic pile of carbohydrates: rice and brown lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, a garlicky-spiced tomato sauce, a sharp vinegar drizzle, and a towering heap of crispy fried onions on top. Sold from dedicated koshari shops and street carts across Cairo, it’s cheap, filling, entirely vegan by nature, and the great democratic meal of Egypt.

A dish of separate parts

The thing to understand about koshari is that it’s an assembly, not a one-pot. Each element is cooked on its own — lentils until just tender, pasta al dente, rice fluffed pilaf-style with the lentils and a little onion oil — so every component has the right texture before it’s layered. Yes, it means several pans; the contrast between them is the whole reason the dish works. Frying the onions first is doubly useful: they’re the crown, and their oil flavours everything else.

Two sauces make it sing

What lifts koshari above a bowl of plain carbs is the sauces. A tangy, cumin-spiced tomato sauce sharpened with vinegar ties it together, and the daqqa — a sizzling drizzle of fried garlic and vinegar — cuts straight through the richness. Layer it all up in deep bowls — rice and lentils, pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce, daqqa, then a mountain of crispy onions — so every spoonful has soft, tangy, sharp and crunchy at once.

For more of the Egyptian table, try ful medames and ta’ameya, or browse the full recipe collection.

Ingredients

Serves
6

For the crispy onions

  • 3 large onions, thinly sliced
  • for frying neutral oil

For the base

  • 200 g brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 250 g rice (medium-grain or basmati)
  • 150 g short pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)
  • 100 g small pasta or vermicelli (optional, to toast with the rice)
  • 1 can (400 g) chickpeas, drained and warmed
  • salt and oil, as needed

For the tomato sauce

  • 2 tbsp oil (use some of the onion oil)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp chilli flakes, to taste
  • 700 g tomato passata
  • 2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar

For the daqqa (garlic-vinegar sauce)

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed, fried briefly with 1 tsp cumin and 3 tbsp vinegar The sharp, garlicky drizzle that defines koshari — don't skip it.

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Fry the sliced onions slowly in oil until deep golden brown and crisp, then drain on paper. Save the oil.

    Why: Crispy onions are the crown of koshari and the onion-infused oil flavours everything else — fry low and slow so they crisp evenly without burning.

  2. Cook the lentils in plenty of water until just tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Boil the pasta separately until al dente; drain.

    Why: Cooking each component on its own means each is properly done — lentils tender, pasta al dente, rice fluffy — rather than a single overcooked pot.

  3. Toast the rice (and optional vermicelli) in a little onion oil, then add the cooked lentils and enough water to cook the rice through, pilaf-style. Season and steam until fluffy.

    Why: Cooking the rice with the lentils and a little of the onion oil seasons the grains throughout; toasting first keeps them separate.

  4. Make the tomato sauce: soften the garlic in oil, add cumin, coriander and chilli, then the passata and vinegar. Simmer 15 minutes until thick and tangy.

    Why: The tangy, spiced tomato sauce ties the whole dish together; the vinegar gives koshari its characteristic sharp edge.

  5. Make the daqqa: fry crushed garlic with cumin briefly, then add vinegar and let it sizzle.

    Why: This sharp garlic-vinegar drizzle is a defining koshari element, cutting through the rich carbs — it's what makes the dish sing.

  6. Layer in bowls: rice-and-lentils, then pasta, then chickpeas, a ladle of tomato sauce, a drizzle of daqqa, and a generous heap of crispy onions on top.

    Why: Koshari is all about the assembled layers and contrasts — soft carbs, tangy sauce, sharp garlic and crunchy onions in every spoonful.

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Variations

  • Shortcut onions

    Store-bought crispy fried onions save real time and are a legitimate everyday cheat, though home-fried have the best flavour.

  • Spicier (shatta)

    Serve with Egyptian shatta — a fiery chilli-vinegar sauce — on the side for those who like real heat.

  • Make-ahead components

    Cook the lentils, sauces and onions in advance; assemble hot to order. The dish is built for batch prep.

Serving & Storage

Assemble in deep bowls and serve hot, passing extra tomato sauce, daqqa and chilli at the table so everyone can adjust. A simple side salad of tomato and cucumber is the usual partner.

Pairs with: Extra garlic-vinegar daqqa, Shatta chilli sauce, Tomato-cucumber salad.

Storage: Keep the components separately for up to 3 days and assemble hot to serve — pre-mixed koshari goes soft. The crispy onions stay crisp in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 bowl (1/6 recipe))

Calories
480
Protein
16 g
Carbs
82 g
Fat
11 g
Fiber
11 g
Sugar
8 g
Sodium
520 mg

Notable micronutrients: Iron, Folate, Fiber, Magnesium

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why so many separate pots?

Each element — lentils, rice, pasta, two sauces, onions — is cooked on its own so each has the right texture, then layered together. It's more washing-up, but the contrast of components is the entire appeal of koshari.

What's the daqqa?

It's the sharp garlic-and-vinegar sauce drizzled over the top (sometimes called the garlic sauce). With the tangy tomato sauce, it gives koshari its signature sour-garlicky kick that cuts the rich carbs.

Can I use canned crispy onions?

Yes, as a shortcut — but home-fried onions, cooked slowly to a deep gold, have far better flavour and give you the onion-infused oil to cook the rest of the dish in.

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