Egyptian Koshari Layered Dish (Printable)

A comforting mix of rice, lentils, pasta, and spiced tomato sauce topped with crispy fried onions.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains & Legumes

01 - 1 cup medium-grain rice, rinsed
02 - 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
03 - 1 cup small elbow macaroni or ditalini pasta
04 - 2 cups water (for rice)
05 - 3 cups water (for lentils)
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

→ Tomato Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
09 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
10 - 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
11 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
12 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Crispy Onions

17 - 2 large onions, thinly sliced
18 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
19 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
20 - Vegetable oil, for frying

→ Garnishes

21 - 1/4 cup white vinegar
22 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
23 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
24 - Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Place lentils in a saucepan with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
02 - Combine rinsed rice, 2 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15–18 minutes until cooked. Fluff with fork and set aside.
03 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook macaroni until al dente, then drain and set aside.
04 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté chopped onion until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, chili flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
05 - Toss sliced onions with flour and salt to coat evenly. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry onions in batches until golden and crisp, about 5–7 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
06 - Combine vinegar, minced garlic, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
07 - Layer rice, lentils, and pasta in serving bowls or a platter. Spoon tomato sauce over the top, then scatter crispy onions. Drizzle with garlic vinegar if desired and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one bowl—protein from lentils and pasta, comfort from rice, and pure joy from those crispy onions.
  • The layering lets everyone customize their bite, mixing as much or as little of each component as they want.
  • Once you make it once, you'll have this on your weeknight rotation forever.
02 -
  • Don't overcook the lentils or they'll turn to mush and lose their texture—test them at 20 minutes and keep checking.
  • The crispy onions should be added right before serving or they'll soften and lose their crunch in the steam.
  • The sauce should be thick and cling to the rice, not watery—if it's too thin after 20 minutes, let it simmer longer.
03 -
  • Toast your cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet for 30 seconds before grinding them—the flavor difference is remarkable and tastes authentically Egyptian.
  • If your fried onions aren't crisping up, the oil might not be hot enough; let it heat for a full minute and test with one onion strand first.
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