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Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

Koshari Recipe

This Egyptian-inspired Koshari layers chickpeas, lentils, pasta, rice, crispy onions, and bold sauces into Egypt’s iconic, flavorful dish.
Servings: 6 to 8
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Accompaniments:

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ peeled small-diced yellow onion
  • 2 finely minced garlic cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Pinch red pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 28- ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the Fried Onions:

  • 2 peeled and julienne small to medium-sized yellow onions
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup cooking oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Follow this cooking order to ensure everything is timed perfectly. In addition, things like the Da’Ah, Shatta, lentils, or chickpeas may be cooked a day ahead and reheated before serving this koshari.
  • Prepare the chickpeas. Be sure to see how to make the recipe at this link. After they boil, you will have about 90 minutes to prepare all the Da’Ah sauce, optional Shatta sauce, tomato sauce, and fried onions.
  • Follow this recipe to make Da’Ah sauce.
  • Follow this recipe to make the optional Shatta sauce.

For the Tomato Sauce:

  • Add the olive oil to a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
  • Place the onions in the pot, gently season with salt, and saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Then turn the heat down to low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until well browned.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, which takes about 30 to 45 seconds. Next, stir in the cumin and pepper flakes.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until it turns a rust-like color. This is known as pincer.
  • Pour in the crushed tomatoes. I usually add about 1/3 cup of water to the can to swish it around, getting all the tomato remnants off and into the pot.
  • Cook on low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Finish with the vinegar. Cover and set to the side. If it gets too cold, just reheat when you’re ready to serve.

For the Fried Onions:

  • Add the onions to a bowl, season with salt, and mix to combine and season.
  • Next, sprinkle in the flour and toss until coated.
  • Pour the oil into an extra-large frying pan or rondeau over medium-high heat.
  • Place the onions in the pot and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the pan, until the onions are well caramelized, brown, and crispy. They should be very dark in color. Drain them on paper towels until they are ready to be used.
  • At this stage, prepare the lentils.

For the Pasta:

  • While the lentils are cooking, add the macaroni to a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook according to the package directions for al dente pasta.
  • Drain and rinse under cool water until they are about room temperature.
  • Transfer to a pot or bowl and drizzle in the olive oil. Mix to combine and cover with a pot or a bowl.

For the Rice:

  • In a medium-sized saucier pan, add the olive oil and over low to medium heat, add in the vermicelli and toast just until lightly browned. This will only take about 2 minutes.
  • Next, add in the rice and toast for 3 to 4 minutes until a good amount of the rice is milky white.
  • Next, pour in the water, add the salt, and bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Turn the heat to low, add a lid, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and fluff the rice using a fork. Let it stand for 3 to 4 minutes uncovered and serve

To Plate:

  • Place a bed of cooked rice on a plate or in a bowl.
  • Add on some lentils, followed by some of the macaroni pasta, and then the tomato sauce and chickpeas.
  • Drizzle with either the Da’ah or Shatta sauce.
  • Top off with crispy caramelized onions.

Notes

I can’t stress enough how many moving parts there are in this recipe, so having everything in its place before you do anything is the difference between a stress-free kitchen and total chaos. To “manage the line,” I start by simmering the dry chickpeas and lentils since they take about 90 minutes to cook through. That gives me a little time to prepare the sauces, slice the onions, mince the garlic, and measure out the spices. Maintain this organization, and you’ll find that each step will be timed perfectly.
The key to crispy onions: I heat the oil to 350°F–375°F and don’t crowd the onions in the pan. Frying too many onions at once causes the oil’s temperature to drop, which means sad, floppy onions. 
Cook the lentils and rice separately: Egyptian street vendors often cook the rice and lentils in one pot, but I recommend cooking them separately. This keeps the lentils tender and the rice fluffy.
Let your rice rest: After fluffing it with a fork and turning off the heat, I let the rice sit uncovered for a few minutes.
Optional protein: Koshari is traditionally vegan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t top it with your favorite protein, such as chicken shawarma, seasoned ground beef, or pulled lamb. 
Make-Ahead: There’s a lot involved with this dish, so I like to make the sauces at least 1 day in advance and the chickpeas, lentils, and rice up to 2 days in advance. 
How to Store: The chickpeas, rice, pasta, and lentils can be stored together in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I recommend storing the sauces and crispy onions in separate containers to prevent everything from getting soggy.
How to Reheat: Gently warm the sauces on the stovetop and microwave the chickpeas, rice, and lentils until warmed through. Once everything is hot, layer it with freshly boiled pasta and crispy onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 1160kcalCarbohydrates: 174gProtein: 20gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 264mgPotassium: 726mgFiber: 9gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 304IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 7mg
Author: Chef Billy Parisi