Authentic Egyptian Koshari – Ready in 2 Hours

Egyptian Koshari Like a Café

Ready to bring a taste of Cairo to your kitchen? This koshari mimics the classic café version—layers of fragrant rice, silky pasta, hearty lentils, and crunchy fried onions, all topped with tangy red sauce and garlicky tomato. With a prep and cook time of two hours each, the result is a comforting, crowd‑pleasing dish that’s perfect for family dinners or entertaining friends.

Ingredients

• Ready‑made red sauce, to taste
• Garlic paste, to taste
• • Hummus
  • 1 cup chickpeas
  • Water, as needed for soaking
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • A pinch of cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
• • Lentils
  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • Water, as needed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • A pinch of cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
• • Onions
  • 4 white onions, cut into rings
  • 2 tbsp starch (cornstarch)
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
• • Rice
  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cube butter
  • 1/2 cup vermicelli
  • 2 cups Egyptian rice, soaked & drained
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • A pinch of cumin
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 cube broth
• • Pasta
  • Water, as needed
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250 g small pasta (e.g., elbow)
  • 250 g spaghetti

Directions

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. Drain, rinse, then simmer with baking soda, cumin, salt, and garlic until tender, about 1 ¼ hrs.
2. Cook the lentils in water with garlic, cumin, and salt until just soft, then set aside.
3. Fry the onion rings with starch in hot oil until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
4. Prepare the rice: toss oil, butter, and vermicelli in a pot until the vermicelli browns, then add rice, salt, cumin, and broth‑infused water. Cover and simmer on low until rice is cooked.
5. Simmer the pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain.
6. Assemble by layering rice, lentils, and vermicelli in a large serving dish; top with pasta, then the cooked chickpeas, and finally the fried onions.
7. Serve with generous spoonfuls of red sauce and a swirl of garlic paste. Enjoy hot!