Egyptian Koshari Salad (كشري)
This iconic dish from the streets of Cairo combines fried rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, onions and tomato sauce to make a layered showstopper, perfect for a crowd.
The basis of koshari goes back thousands of years, when rice, lentils, chickpeas and onions were cooked together in claypots and dressed in a sour lemon sauce. It is now a popular street food all over Egypt, spawning different styles between cities and has even gained in popularity in the last 10 years. It’s generally a layered dish, with fried rice on the bottom, then green lentils, cooked macaroni pasta, chickpeas, a spicy tomato sauce and a tangle of fried onions on top. As you could guess, Egyptians don’t usually make koshari at home, as there are multiple stages involved and it’s quicker just to satisfy your craving at koshari stalls on the city streets. When Cairo is too far away however, it’s really worth the effort. This is an utterly gorgeous dish, probably one of the best vegetable dishes you’ll ever eat, and this process I’m about to show you will streamline the whole affair. Most of the elements are best prepared in advance - ideally the day before - and it takes 10 minutes to build it on a plate when serving. The biggest time-saver is using canned/jarred beans. You could also use a ready-made tomato sauce but because it forms the crucial link between the layers in this dish, it’s worth having just that little bit further to go in making your own sauce. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6x)
300g long grain rice (ideally ‘Egyptian rice’ which is slightly shorter in grain)
1x 400g can chickpeas, drained
1x 400g can green lentils, drained
250g macaroni pasta
To serve: chopped parsley/coriander/mint
FRIED ONIONS
1x onion, sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 tablespoons olive oil
SPICY TOMATO SAUCE
1x tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1x clove garlic, grated
1/2 tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
1x 400g can of chopped/whole tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp sugar, or to taste
LEMON-GARLIC DRESSING (DAQUA)
3x cloves garlic, sliced
1-2 green chillies, halved
1x strip of lemon rind
1 tsp cumin seeds
100ml white vinegar (white wine/vinegar will suffice)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon honey
WALKTHROUGH
PREPARATIONS BEFOREHAND.
First, let’s cook the rice. Briefly wash the 300g of Egyptian short grain rice (or long grain rice) until the water runs clear. Add the drained rice to a saucepan and cover with 550ml of cold water and 1 tsp of oil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Place the pan onto a heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat completely, and then leave the rice for a further 6 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this time.
Once cooked, gently fluff the rice with a fork. Tip it into a tray or container and allow it to cool completely before storing in the fridge, ideally overnight.
Now let’s make the tomato sauce. Place a small saucepan onto medium heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil followed by the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Fry the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes until rich and deep in flavour. Add the 1x clove of grated garlic and 1/2 tsp chilli flakes and fry for a further 30 seconds.
Add the 400g can of tomatoes along with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Allow the sauce to come to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes until rich and deep. Taste for seasoning, making adjustments with salt and/or sugar. Set the sauce aside, or store for up 5 days in the fridge.
Now we’ll prepare the lemon-garlic dressing. Into a microwavable jug, add the 3 sliced cloves of garlic, 1-2 sliced green chillies, 1 tsp salt, 1 strip of lemon rind and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Microwave this mixture on high for 10-15 seconds until fragrant.
Add the 100ml of white vinegar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of honey. Microwave the mixture again for 30-60 seconds until steaming and fragrant. Mix until well combined and the salt is dissolved. Set the dressing aside for at least 20 minutes to cool before using, or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You may leave the solids in the dressing for this time.
Now we’ll prepare the fried onions. Place 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tsp cumin seeds into a frying pan and place onto a medium-low heat. Once the seeds sizzle, add the sliced onion and fry gently until softened and slightly golden brown. Remove the onions and the flavourful oil from the pan and set aside.
Now we’ll cook the pasta. Place a pan of water onto boil. Cook the 250g macaroni pasta according to the pasta instructions, before draining. This may be lightly oiled and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before using.
JUST BEFORE SERVING.
Now we’ll compile the koshari - this takes about 15 minutes. Place a frying pan onto a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the fried onion oil. Add the cooked, chilled rice. Gently break the rice up and fry it until heated through and lightly coated in onion oil - about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the hot, fried rice to the serving plate and spread it out as a thin layer (LAYER 1).
Add the drained can of green lentils to the frying pan and fry gently until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Arrange them over the fried rice on the serving plate (LAYER 2).
Arrange the cooked macaroni pasta across the lentils on the serving plate. (LAYER 3)
Add the drained can of chickpeas to the frying pan and fry gently until warmed through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chickpeas from the pan and arrange them over the macaroni on the serving plate (LAYER 4).
Spoon the fried onions over the chickpea layer on the serving dish, drizzling over any remaining onion oil to dribble down through the layers (LAYER 5).
Reheat the spicy tomato sauce and spoon it over the onion layer on the serving plate (LAYER 6).
Finally, sprinkle some chopped parsley, coriander or mint over the top of the dish and spoon over a modest amount of the lemon-garlic dressing to taste. Allow people to add more dressing to their own serving to suit their taste - it’s very punchy! Enjoy!
