Local food map Cairo (Egypt)
Cairo guides
Recipes 16
Pick a recipe
All Cairo recipes
Koshari — traditional dish from Cairo, Egypt
Main course Vegan

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥720kcal
💪28gProtein
🌾120gCarbs
🥑12gFat
🌿14gFibre
⚖️350 gServing

* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.

Allergens

🌾 Gluten

Koshari

How to order / say it
Say it كشري — [KUH-shuh-ree]
Order I'd like the koshari, please.
Locally من فضلك أريد كشري.
Say locally

A hearty Egyptian dish made of rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas topped with tomato sauce.

Why try it?

Koshari is the national dish of Egypt, reflecting Cairo's diverse influences with its blend of Indian, Italian, and Middle Eastern elements. It's a beloved comfort food symbolizing resilience and unity.

How it tastes

The dish offers a medley of textures with soft rice, hearty lentils, and al dente pasta, enriched by a tangy, spicy tomato sauce and crunchy fried onions.

Origin & History — first documented: 1850

Koshari originated in mid-19th century Cairo as a frugal street food. Its components, brought by British soldiers, immigrants, and traders, were adapted locally, merging to form an enduring cultural emblem.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🌾 100 g white rice
  • 🫘 100 g lentils
  • 🌾 100 g macaroni
  • 🫘 50 g chickpeas
  • 🧄 50 g fried onions
  • 🥣 100 ml tomato sauce
  • 30 ml vinegar
  • 🧄 10 g garlic
  • 🧂 5 g cumin
  • 🫒 30 ml oil

Method

  1. 1 Cook rice and lentils separately until tender.
  2. 2 Boil macaroni until al dente, then drain.
  3. 3 Layer rice, lentils, pasta, and chickpeas in a bowl.
  4. 4 Top with tomato sauce, fried onions, and a drizzle of garlic-vinegar mix.
All Africa recipes — Egypt — Cairo — Koshari
keyboard_arrow_up