Koshari

Koshari is Egypt's beloved national street food — a carb lover's dream of rice, lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas topped with spicy tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. Cheap, filling, and utterly addictive.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Egyptian rice
• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 can chickpeas
• 3 onions (sliced thin for frying)
• Flour for coating
• For the sauce:
• 2 cups tomato passata
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Cook rice, lentils, and macaroni separately according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. For the sauce: fry garlic in oil, add tomato passata, vinegar, cumin, chilli flakes, and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. For crispy onions: slice 3 onions into thin rings, coat in flour, and deep-fry until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
4. To assemble: layer rice on the bottom, then lentils, then macaroni.
5. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas and scatter on top.
6. Pour the hot tomato sauce over everything.
7. Top generously with crispy fried onions.
8. Serve with extra hot sauce on the side.