Egyptian Koshari

Egypt’s iconic street food — rice, black lentils, vermicelli and elbow macaroni piled together and drowned in spiced tomato sauce, with crispy fried onions, garlicky da’ah vinegar sauce and spicy shatta chilli sauce. It has Indian, Italian and Egyptian influences crammed into one bowl, and it absolutely works.

Ingredients

Crispy Fried Onions

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
• Salt

Tomato Base Sauce

• 2 tbsp reserved onion oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup (240ml) passata
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste

Shatta (Chilli Sauce)

• 1 tbsp reserved onion oil
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• ¼ cup (60ml) tomato base sauce (from above)
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• Water, to loosen if needed

Da’ah (Garlic Vinegar Sauce)

• 2 tbsp reserved onion oil
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ cup (120ml) distilled vinegar
• ½ cup (120ml) water
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Koshari Base

• ½ cup black lentils, soaked in hot water for 1 hour
• ½ cup short-grain rice (or basmati), rinsed
• ½ cup vermicelli pasta
• ½ cup elbow macaroni
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup reserved onion oil
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 cups water
• Salt

Instructions

Crispy Fried Onions

1. Thinly slice the onions as finely as possible — a mandolin helps here.
2. Season with salt and toss with the cornstarch until evenly coated.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and fry for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want them to start turning a light golden brown — pull them out before they go too dark as they’ll continue cooking once removed.
4. Fish the onions out and drain on kitchen paper. Season immediately with salt.
5. Reserve the leftover oil — it’s full of onion flavour and used throughout the rest of the dish.

Tomato Base Sauce

6. Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved onion oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to colour.
7. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the passata, vinegar, sugar, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
9. Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat for 5–10 minutes. Set aside — you’ll need some of this for the shatta.

Shatta (Chilli Sauce)

10. Heat 1 tablespoon of onion oil in a small saucepan. Add the chilli flakes, chilli powder and crushed garlic, and cook for a minute or two.
11. Add the tomato purée, a quarter cup of the tomato base sauce, and the cumin. Stir together and add a splash of water if it looks too thick. Set aside.

Da’ah (Garlic Vinegar Sauce)

12. Heat 2 tablespoons of onion oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened.
13. Add the vinegar, water, cumin and lime juice. Stir together. Taste and adjust with more water if too tangy. Set aside.

Cook the Macaroni

14. Boil the elbow macaroni according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Koshari Base

15. Heat the onion oil in a large lidded pot over medium heat.
16. Add the dry vermicelli and fry, stirring, until it turns a deep golden brown.
17. Add the rinsed rice and stir to coat in the oil.
18. Add the soaked and drained lentils, cumin, coriander and a good pinch of salt.
19. Pour in the water — just enough to cover the rice — and bring to a boil.
20. Cover, reduce to low heat, and cook for 10 minutes.
21. Turn off the heat and let it steam, covered, for a further 5 minutes.

Plate

22. Spoon a generous base of the rice, lentil and vermicelli mixture into a bowl.
23. Top with the cooked macaroni, a ladle of tomato base sauce, a handful of chickpeas, and a large pile of crispy fried onions.
24. Serve the shatta and da’ah on the side so people can dress individual bites to taste.