Koushari (Lentils Macaroni & Rice in Oil)
Submitted by susy bear
Egyptian koushari layers brown lentils, elbow macaroni, and fried rice tossed with tomato puree and crispy ta’leya onions. Egypt’s beloved street food, vegetarian and filling.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
90 minREADY
120 minKoushari is Egypt’s national comfort food. You’ll find it on every street corner in Cairo, ladled from giant pots into bowls for a few coins. It’s a hearty, carb-on-carb combination of brown lentils, elbow macaroni, and short-grain rice, all tossed together with tomato puree and crowned with ta’leya: golden fried onions and garlic sizzled in olive oil.
This recipe uses the traditional Egyptian one-pot-at-a-time method. Lentils cook first (a full hour until tender but still holding their shape), then macaroni boils in the same cleaned pot, and finally the rice fries in olive oil before simmering. Each component gets individual attention, which is why the textures stay distinct instead of blending into mush.
The ta’leya is the soul of the dish. Thinly sliced onion semicircles fried golden brown, then garlic stirred in for a minute more. This mixture, along with the tomato puree, gets poured over the combined grains and left on low heat for 10 minutes to marry everything together.
Chef Tips
- Don’t rush the lentils. A full hour keeps them intact. Undercooked lentils are hard; overcooked ones turn to paste. Both ruin the texture balance.
- Fry the rice before adding water. Those 2-3 minutes in oil toast the grains and keep them fluffy and separate instead of sticky.
- Fry the onions until truly golden brown, not just soft. The deep caramelization is what makes the ta’leya taste like more than just fried onions.
Variations
- Spicy vinegar sauce: Serve with a side of chili-garlic vinegar sauce (dakka) for drizzling, a common Egyptian accompaniment.
- Chickpea addition: Many koushari vendors add canned chickpeas to the mix for extra protein.
- Vermicelli swap: Replace the macaroni with broken vermicelli noodles for a slightly different texture common in some Egyptian versions.
Ingredients
Directions
You may cook the lentils, macaroni and rice simultaneously in 3 pots, or if, like me, you like to keep pots to a minimum, use the method given.
This is the way they prepare it in Egypt anyway.
Place lentils in a sieve and wash well under running water.
Place in a large pot and add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour until tender but still intact.
Drain and keep aside.
Clean same pot and add 4 cups water.
Bring to the boil, add 2 teaspoons salt and the macaroni.
Stir constantly until water returns to the boil and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes until tender.
Stir occasionally.
Drain and keep aside.
Clean pot again and dry.
Wash rice well in sieve under running water and drain.
Heat oil in pot and fry rice over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until tender.
Leave covered off the heat for 5 minutes for grains to separate.
Prepare the ta’leya (directions below), add tomato purée and bring to the boil.
Add lentils and macaroni to cooked rice and toss together lightly with a fork.
Pour hot ta’leya and tomato mixture on top, toss again and cover pot.
Leave over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
TA’LEYA: Halve peeled onions lengthwise then slice thinly to give semicircles.
Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions and fry over medium heat until golden brown.
Add garlic and cook a minute longer.
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