koshari — Egypt

Koshari is a layered bowl of rice, brown lentils, macaroni and chickpeas, dressed with a spiced tomato sauce and finished with a scattering of deeply fried onions. It is reported chiefly from Egypt, and above all from Cairo, where it is sold from street carts and dedicated koshari shops as an everyday, affordable meal rather than a special-occasion dish. Its mix of rice and lentils, pasta and a tomato sauce is thought to reflect overlapping influences absorbed through nineteenth-century trade, though the exact path is not settled. To prepare it, rice and brown lentils are cooked separately, macaroni is boiled until tender, and chickpeas are cooked or simmered from tins. A tomato sauce is built with garlic and cumin and left to reduce until it thickens. Onions are sliced thin and fried slowly until they turn a deep, crisp brown. To assemble, rice and lentils form the base of the bowl, macaroni and chickpeas are layered over, the tomato sauce is spooned generously across the top, and the fried onions are scattered last. A garlic-vinegar dressing and a chili sauce are usually offered alongside so each diner can adjust the heat and sharpness. What changes between cooks is the proportion of rice to lentils to pasta, how heavily the tomato sauce leans on cumin against coriander, and how far the onions are taken toward crisp. This version keeps a generous layer of fried onion and a tomato sauce with cumin well to the front.