Egyptian Koshari Recipe (The Best I've Had)

Method17 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the 1 cup dried chickpeas and 1 cup dried brown lentils in separate bowls. Cover each with water and soak for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and discard the soaking water before cooking each legume.

   Soak the chickpeas and lentils · 180 minUses 1 cup dried chickpeas · 1 cup dried brown lentils · Water, enough to cover the chickpeas and lentils in separate soaking bowls

2. 2

   Step 2: Put the drained soaked chickpeas from step 1 in a pot and cover with fresh first-boil water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 45–60 minutes, checking after 45 minutes, until partly cooked. During this boil, you can start the onion preparation in step 4.

   First chickpea boil · 45 minUses Drained soaked chickpeas · Fresh water, enough to cover the drained chickpeas for their first boil

3. 3

   Step 3: Drain the partly cooked chickpeas from step 2 and discard that water. Add fresh second-boil water and the 2 teaspoons ground cumin. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes, then check that the chickpeas are fully tender; continue if necessary. Drain the finished chickpeas and squeeze the juice of the ½ lime over them. Keep ready for assembly.

   Second chickpea boil · 30 minUses Partly cooked chickpeas and first cooking water · Fresh water, enough to cover the partly cooked drained chickpeas for their second boil · 2 tsp ground cumin for the second chickpea boil · ½ lime for the cooked chickpeas

4. 4

   Step 4: Slice the 1½ pounds topping onions into thin rings. Toss with the 6 tablespoons flour and leave for 30 minutes before frying.

   Rest the flour-coated onion rings · 30 minUses 1½ lb onions, thinly sliced into rings · 6 tbsp flour for coating the onion rings

5. 5

   Step 5: Fry the coated onion rings from step 4 in enough sunflower oil until golden brown, working in batches as needed. Lift them out with a frying spatula onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and salt to taste. Keep the used onion-frying oil separately for the measured 4-tablespoon rice draw and optional 1-tablespoon fresh-sauce draw.

   Uses Rested flour-coated onion rings · Sunflower oil, enough to fry the onions and reserve oil for the sauces and rice · Salt to taste for the drained fried onions

6. 6

   Step 6: If making the optional fresh red sauce, blend its 1 pound tomatoes, 6 ounces green bell pepper, 6 ounces onion and 3 peeled garlic cloves. Add its 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, juice of 1 lime and 1 tablespoon reserved onion-frying oil from step 5. Add salt and pepper to taste and the optional spicy pepper (1) if desired. Blend and keep this uncooked sauce separate for serving.

   Uses 1 lb tomatoes for the optional fresh red sauce · 6 oz green bell pepper for the optional fresh red sauce · 6 oz onion for the optional fresh red sauce · 3 garlic cloves for the optional fresh red sauce · 1 tsp ground coriander for the optional fresh red sauce · 1 tsp ground cumin for the optional fresh red sauce · 1 lime for the optional fresh red sauce · 1 tbsp reserved onion-frying oil

7. 7

   Step 7: Blend the separate 1¼ pounds peeled onions for the lentil rice in a food processor. Measure 4 tablespoons reserved onion-frying oil from step 5 into a high-rimmed pot. Add the blended onions and cook slowly over low heat for about 10 minutes.

   Cook the blended rice onions · 10 minUses 1¼ lb onions for the lentil rice · 4 tbsp reserved onion-frying oil

8. 8

   Step 8: Add the drained soaked brown lentils from step 1 and the 4 cups lentil-rice water to the cooked onions and oil from step 7. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Check that the lentils are soft and continue before adding the rice if they are still firm.

   Soften the lentils before adding rice · 10 minUses Cooked blended onions and four-tablespoon oil draw · Drained soaked brown lentils · 4 cups water for cooking the lentils and short-grain rice

9. 9

   Step 9: Reduce the lentil-and-onion pot from step 8 to medium-low heat. Add the 2 cups dry Calrose short-grain rice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix, cover and cook gently for about 12–15 minutes, checking after 12 minutes, until the rice and lentils are tender. Keep the lid on and the heat low enough that the liquid does not rapidly evaporate. If the pot becomes dry while grains remain firm, add a little extra water and continue covered until tender.

   Cook the short-grain lentil rice · 12 minUses Soft lentils, cooked onions, oil and rice cooking water · 2 cups dry Calrose short-grain rice · Salt and pepper to taste for the lentil rice · Extra water, only if the lentil rice dries before becoming tender

10. 10

    Step 10: Once the rice and lentils from step 9 are tender, turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 5 minutes.

    Rest the covered lentil rice · 5 minUses Tender cooked lentil rice

11. 11

    Step 11: Bring a separate pot of pasta water to a boil and add about 1 tablespoon salt. Break the 8 ounces dried spaghetti into quarters, working with manageable groups of strands.

    Uses Water, enough to boil the elbow pasta and broken spaghetti · About 1 tbsp salt for the pasta cooking water · 8 ounces dried spaghetti

12. 12

    Step 12: Put the broken spaghetti from step 11 and the 8 ounces elbow pasta into the boiling salted water in the pasta pot. Follow the package timings, adding the shapes as needed so both finish at the desired al dente firmness. Drain and keep the cooked pasta ready for assembly.

    Uses Boiling salted pasta water and broken dry spaghetti · 8 ounces elbow pasta

13. 13

    Step 13: Blend the separate 2¼ pounds tomatoes for the cooked vinegar sauce and strain into a bowl. Peel and mince its 9 garlic cloves. Have the tomato paste, white vinegar and sauce spices ready before heating the pan.

    Uses 2¼ lb tomatoes for the cooked vinegar sauce · 9 garlic cloves for the cooked vinegar sauce

14. 14

    Step 14: Melt the 2 tablespoons ghee in a saucepan. If using the optional 1 teaspoon chili flakes or cayenne, fry it gently in the ghee for about 30 seconds, watching that it does not burn. If leaving out the chili, proceed as soon as the ghee has melted.

    Briefly fry the optional chili · 1 minUses 2 tbsp ghee · 1 tsp chili flakes or cayenne powder (optional)

15. 15

    Step 15: Add the minced cooked-sauce garlic from step 13 to the ghee and optional chili from step 14. Add the 3 tablespoons tomato paste and 3 tablespoons white vinegar and stir for about 30 seconds before adding the strained tomatoes.

    Cook the tomato paste and vinegar · 1 minUses Minced garlic for the cooked vinegar sauce · Melted ghee and optional fried chili · 3 tbsp tomato paste · 3 tbsp white vinegar

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the strained cooked-sauce tomatoes from step 13 to the garlic, ghee, tomato paste and vinegar from step 15. Add the separate cooked-sauce 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring as needed. Keep this vinegar sauce warm for serving.

    Simmer the cooked vinegar sauce · 10 minUses Strained tomatoes for the cooked vinegar sauce · Fried garlic, ghee, tomato paste and vinegar · 1 tsp ground cumin for the cooked vinegar sauce · 1 tsp ground coriander for the cooked vinegar sauce · ½ tsp sugar · 1 tsp salt for the cooked vinegar sauce · 1 tsp ground black pepper for the cooked vinegar sauce

17. 17

    Step 17: Assemble bowls in this order: rested lentil rice from step 10, drained cooked pasta from step 12, tender lime-seasoned chickpeas from step 3, warm vinegar sauce from step 16, optional fresh red sauce from step 6, and drained crispy onions from step 5 on top. Use portions of each component to taste; the batch is intended for about 8 servings. Keep any remaining components separate and cool them promptly in shallow containers before refrigerating. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days and reheat cooked components thoroughly before serving; add the fresh sauce and crispy onions at the end.

    Uses Rested lentil rice · Drained cooked pasta · Drained tender lime-seasoned chickpeas · Warm cooked vinegar sauce · Optional uncooked fresh red sauce · Drained crispy fried onions