Egyptian Kushari Recipe with Pasta, Rice, and Lentils

Making this popular Egyptian street food Kushari at home is perfect in this quarantining and pantry-cooking age and so easy too.

Filling and delicious, this historic national dish of Egypt with a slew of maximum flavors and textures is also budget-friendly.

This Egyptian national dish is made of rice, pasta, and lentils mixed with a one-of-a-kind spiced tomato and cumin sauce with the Mediterranean flavors, then layered with tender chickpeas and crispy fried onions!

Egyptian kushari is also spelled koshari or koshary. However you like to call it, this vegetarian dish, with a base similar to Majadara (or Mujaddara), will surely become your family's favorite meal.

📃 Why it Works

• This unpretentiously delicious and saucy delicacy is a must-try! It has inimitable elements to it that sets it apart from any other dishes.
• It provides nutrition and flavor from affordable, accessible ingredients.
• It uses cheap ingredients.
• It's easy to make.
• It's hardy and adaptable.
• It's the perfect dish to use up leftovers.

You can enjoy this light yet filling vegan dish as is. But if you are craving some meat, it is also a great side dish for your favorite protein.

It's the perfect recipe for meatless Mondays or Lenten Fridays, but you will equally love it served with grilled lamb chops or with fried eggs.

Layering these folksy ingredients in a bowl might not sound like much, but it works!

It's comfort food at its finest - a mixture of multiple carbs and protein tossed with a range of acidic sauces - and low-cost to boot!

If you happen to find yourself in Cairo, you will see authentic kushari sold everywhere, from humble food stalls and carts to high-end restaurants.

It's no wonder this ancient grain bowl is in demand and offered in hot spots of other major cities worldwide.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

• Rice: I used Basmati, my go-to rice, but Jasmine rice works well too. Swap white rice with brown rice, couscous, barley, or quinoa. This recipe is great to use up leftover rice for even quicker prep. 
• Pasta: I used elbow macaroni and angel hair pasta (last-minute decision, thus not pictured). You can also use Vermicelli with Ditalini or Tubettini, or any other short pasta.
• Lentils: Yellow, brown (pictured here), or green lentils will all work well. For a shortcut, use canned lentils (make sure to rinse and heat them before serving).
• Onions: I mostly keep yellow onions on hand for various dishes like these stuffed onions, but red onions and shallots will work also. You can omit coating and fry them and instead saute until caramelized. Another option is store-bought French-fried onions, but you'll want the oil used in the recipe to be onion-infused. This brings us to:
• Oil: You can use vegetable, olive, or canola oil to fry the onions. We will use up this fragrant oil by mixing it with other ingredients (in the recipe, we will refer to it as "onion oil").
• Tomato sauce: Any tomato sauce, marinara, and even canned crushed tomatoes will work.
• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): I used canned, but you are welcome to cook dried chickpeas if you prefer. Soak ½ cup in cold water overnight with ¼ teaspoons baking soda, then rinse and cook until soft, 60-90 minutes.

There are two types of sauces used, tomato sauce and cumin sauce, that make the starches and legumes easy to digest. 

They work so well together in kushari, trust me on this!

• The tomato sauce is quite a class on its own, cooked with garlic and onion oil, spiced with coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, and spiked with a dash of vinegar! It gives the dish a pleasingly tangy, fiery, and citrusy tone. 
• Then there is the cumin sauce, also called kamouneyah. It is made with cumin, onion oil, garlic, and vinegar. This mixture brings that earthy and peppery flavor that shows the Indian and Middle Eastern footprint on this recipe. 

🔪 Instructions

Fry the Onions

1. Slice the onions, pat dry with paper towels, and toss with flour and cornstarch (potato starch).
2. Heat a cast-iron or a nonstick skillet, add oil and onions, and fry until crispy but not burned. Transfer onions to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and reserve the oil ("onion oil").

Cook Rice

1. Rinse and cook rice according to the package directions.
2. Stir in a tablespoon of "onion oil" and set aside.

Cook Lentils

1. Meanwhile, rinse the brown lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan and cover with hot water. Add the cumin, coriander, garlic, and bay leaf and cook for 20-30 minutes.
2. Add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary. Discard the bay leaf and garlic, then stir in one tablespoon of "onion oil."

Cook Pasta

1. While rice and lentils are cooking, cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions (if one cooks not as long as the other, add it at a later time).
2. Drain and toss with one tablespoon of "onion oil."

Make Tomato Sauce

1. In a medium saucepan, add "onion oil," garlic, coriander, and crushed red pepper flakes; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add vinegar, tomato sauce, water, and salt, then stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens.

Make Cumin Sauce (Kamouneyah)

1. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, sauté garlic and cumin together until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add vinegar, water, and salt to taste. Set aside.

👉 Variations

• Use gluten-free pasta.
• Add cannellini beans. 
• Mix in greens such as spinach, chard, or kale.
• Top with pickles and a soft-boiled egg.
• Instead of fried, use caramelized onion.
• Add hot pepper (like a smoky chipotle), chili, or cayenne powder to the tomato sauce.
• Season tomato sauce with the Baharat spice blend, a warming Middle Eastern seasoning. 
• Stuff kushary in a pita for an extra layer of starchy comfort.

• Cook your crispy fried onions first, and do not dispose of the oil used. This "onion oil" will be used for the other ingredient groups later on. 
• Use short-grain rice and follow the package instructions for the rice to water ratio and average cooking time.
• If you are using dry chickpeas, make sure to prepare them ahead of time. Soak in cold water overnight for the best results. 
• The most common pasta used for the kushari recipe is elbow macaroni, but you can also use Ditalini or Tubettini. You can also mix in other pasta shapes, typically vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into pieces.
• Add a pinch of sugar to the tomato sauce to balance out the acidity. 
• If you soak the rice for 15 minutes before cooking, it will make it fluffy. If using Basmati, the rice water ratio is 1:2; otherwise, follow package instructions.

🍽 How To Serve It

1. Layer it - Mix rice and lentils to combine and place into a large bowl for a base. Top with pasta, half of tomato and cumin sauce, then add chickpeas and sprinkle with half the onions. Serve warm, passing the reserved sauces and onions in separate bowls.
2. Build your own - Serve all ingredients in separate bowls and let everyone scoop out ingredients as desired. It is a preferred method for entertaining dinner guests or serving kushari for Thanksgiving (it's the perfect vegan meal for holidays!). 

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

If you like this vegan dish, you will also love these:

• Spaghetti Veracruz
• Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Spaghetti
• Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Soup
• Eggplant Caponata
• Potato-Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers

Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!

Egyptian Kushari - Pasta, Lentils, and Rice Recipe

By Jas

This filling Egyptian recipe is made of rice, pasta, and lentils mixed with spiced tomato and cumin sauce, then layered with tender chickpeas and crispy onions! It's an easy and delicious side or a main vegan entree.

4.8 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Egyptian

Yields 6

Calories 879 kcal

EQUIPMENT

• Cast-iron or a nonstick skillet
• One large pan
• 3 medium-size saucepans
• 1 small saucepan
• Sieve

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US Customary - Metric

For the fried onion:

• ▢ 1 large onion, sliced thin into rings or half-moons
• ▢ A pinch of salt
• ▢ ¼ all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable oil

For kushari:

• ▢ 1 cup dried brown lentils, well rinsed and drained
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 garlic clove, quartered
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 cup rice
• ▢ 2 cups elbow macaroni, or a mix of shapes
• ▢ 3 tablespoons "onion oil"
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

For the tomato sauce:

• ▢ 2 tablespoon "onion oil"
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢ 2 cups tomato sauce
• ▢ Salt to taste

For the cumin sauce (kamouneyah):

• ▢ 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ▢ 2 tablespoons "onion oil"
• ▢ 3 tablespoons water
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vinegar
• ▢ Salt to taste

For the chickpeas:

• ▢ 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained, or ½ cup dried.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Fried onions:

• Pat dry the sliced onion with paper towels to remove the excess humidity.
• In a bowl, mix the flour and cornstarch. Toss in the onions to coat evenly.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onion slices; cook until crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir often to cook evenly and to prevent from burning.
• Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper towel, reserving the oil; set onions aside.

Koshari:

• Rinse and cook the rice in a saucepan according to the package directions. When cooked, stir in 1 tablespoon of the "onion oil" (it gives the grains shine and taste), and set aside.
• Meanwhile, rinse the brown lentils under cold water and add them to another medium saucepan with 3 cups of hot water. Add the cumin, coriander, garlic, and bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Once cooked, add the salt and stir to combine. Strain any excess liquid if necessary. Discard the bay leaf and garlic, then stir in 1 tablespoon of "onion oil."
• While the rice and lentils cook, cook the elbow macaroni in enough salty water until al dente, according to the directions on the package; drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of "onion oil."

Tomato sauce:

• In a medium saucepan, add "onion oil," garlic, coriander, and crushed red pepper flakes; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add vinegar, tomato sauce, water, and salt, then stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

Cumin sauce:

• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, sauté garlic and cumin together until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add vinegar, water, and salt to taste. Set aside.

Chickpeas:

• Right before serving, place drained chickpeas in a microwave-safe dish and warm through.

To assemble:

• Layer the rice, lentils, pasta, tomato sauce, cumin sauce, and chickpeas into a large serving bowl; sprinkle with fried onions. *Check out alternative ways of serving in the post above.

Notes

• Cook your crispy fried onions first, and do not dispose of the oil used. This "onion oil" will be used for the other ingredient groups later on. 
• Use short-grain rice and follow the package instructions for the rice to water ratio and average cooking time.
• If you are using dry chickpeas, make sure to prepare them ahead of time. Soak in cold water overnight for the best results. 
• The most common pasta used for this recipe is elbow macaroni, but you can also use Ditalini or Tubettini. You can also mix in other pasta shapes, typically vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into pieces.
• Add a pinch of sugar to the tomato sauce to balance out the acidity. 
• If you soak the rice for 15 minutes before cooking, it will make it fluffy. If using Basmati, the rice water ratio is 1:2; otherwise, follow package instructions.
• Read the post for helpful notes on ingredients, variations, and serving suggestions.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used and serving size.

Nutrition

Calories: 879kcal (44%) | Carbohydrates: 109g (36%) | Protein: 25g (50%) | Fat: 40g (62%) | Saturated Fat: 30g (150%) | Sodium: 641mg (27%) | Potassium: 984mg (28%) | Fiber: 19g (76%) | Sugar: 10g (11%) | Vitamin A: 447IU (9%) | Vitamin C: 10mg (12%) | Calcium: 107mg (11%) | Iron: 7mg (39%)

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