Koshari, the Rice, Lentil and Macaroni Pile-Up With Crispy Onions on Top

It is 6:20 on a Thursday, three pots are on the stove, and you are fully committed to a love triangle: rice, lentils and macaroni, all in the same bowl, and nobody has to choose. This koshari recipe takes about 56 minutes with most of that time hands-off, which is the best news a weeknight can get. You are trading a long evening of indecision for one big layered bowl.

Three starches, one tomato sauce, and a heap of onions that went all the way to deep brown.

The method is simple enough that the only challenge is timing. Brown lentils simmer, rice steams, macaroni boils, and the onions fry in olive oil until they turn crisp and dark. A small pot of tomato sauce warms while you wait. Then you stack it all in bowls: rice, lentils, macaroni, sauce, onions on top. Everybody gets a different bite, and the sauce ties it together. That is the whole koshari recipe in a sentence.

How to make it

1. Dice the 2 onions and set aside.
2. Rinse 1 cup brown lentils and simmer in 2 cups water for 20 minutes until tender.
3. Cook 1.5 cups long-grain white rice in 3 cups salted water for 18 minutes until fluffy.
4. Boil 1 cup elbow macaroni in salted water for 8 minutes then drain.
5. Fry the diced onions in 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until deep brown and crispy.
6. Warm 2 cups tomato sauce with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a small pot.
7. Layer rice, lentils, and macaroni in bowls, top with sauce and fried onions.

Notes

Cooked leftovers keep three to four days refrigerated, per USDA FSIS. Store the starches and the sauce together if you like, but keep the fried onions in their own container, because sitting against the wet ingredients leaves them soft by the next day.

It reheats well in the microwave or a covered skillet with a splash of water. The next-day bowl is calmer and less dramatic than the first, and the flavors settle together, so it makes a decent packed lunch. Crisp the onions again in a dry pan for a minute if they have lost their snap.

This koshari recipe is built for three separate cooking jobs, so the quickest way through is to stagger them. Get the lentils on first, since they take 20 minutes, and chop the onions while they simmer. Start the rice next, and the macaroni just before everything else finishes, so it is hot when it hits the bowl.

Rinse the lentils before they go in the pot, as the method says, and keep the macaroni water well salted. The pasta is one of three starches in the bowl, and it needs its own seasoning.

Taste as you go: the tomato sauce is the only wet layer, so season it a little boldly, and let it sit warm on the lowest heat while the onions finish. A saucy bowl is a happy bowl, and extra sauce costs you nothing.

Swaps that actually work

Leave the onions alone. They are the point: sliced or diced, fried until deep brown and crispy, and piled on at the end. Everything else can move.

Rice and macaroni can swap for whatever is in the cupboard: basmati for long-grain, ditalini or small shells for elbows. Chickpeas make a good addition if you have a can, though this recipe does not list them. A spoon of garlic, a pinch of cumin, or a splash of vinegar stirred into the tomato sauce each adds a layer without needing a second pan.

Brown lentils can be swapped for green lentils, which hold their shape in a similar way. Red lentils tend to dissolve into mush in 20 minutes, so skip them here.

The swap that costs you the dish is raw or pale onions. Blond onions give you a sweet topping, not a crunchy one, and the bowl needs crunch against all that softness. If you are short on time, still give the onions the full 10 minutes, and use that window to drain the pasta and warm the sauce.

SwipeCart move: you are cooking three things at once, so pick a dish on a night when someone else is handling the dishes. Swipe it in, let the agent shop the lentils and macaroni, and keep your hands free for the onion pan.

If it goes wrong

The onions are limp or burnt. Too much heat browns them on the outside before they crisp, and too little steams them. Keep the heat at medium, stir often, and pull them out the moment they turn deep brown, since they keep darkening in the pan. Drain them on a paper towel to take off extra oil.

The lentils are mushy or still hard. Brown lentils usually need about 20 minutes at a gentle simmer. If they are still firm, add a splash of water and keep going for a few minutes more; if they have turned to paste, use them as a thick layer at the bottom of the bowl and add more rice and macaroni on top.

The rice is sticky. Too much stirring, or too much water for the amount. Fluff it with a fork right after it finishes, and next time keep to the 1.5 cups of rice to 3 cups of salted water ratio the method calls for.

It tastes flat. Almost always salt. Taste the sauce, the lentils and the rice separately, and add a pinch to whichever is bland. A bit of black pepper on the sauce helps, too.

What to serve with it

The default is a deep bowl and a spoon. Koshari is a full meal by itself, with rice, lentils, pasta and sauce all in one layer cake of carbs.

To lift it, add a bright side: sliced cucumber and tomato with lemon juice, or a simple green salad. A dollop of plain yogurt would cool things down if you like a creamy contrast. If you have hot sauce in the fridge, a few drops over the tomato sauce make every bite more interesting.

It works as lunch the next day, and the lentils and sauce keep the bowl moist. Add the onions only after reheating.

Why this one earns its place

Plenty of dinners pick one starch and call it a day. This one invites three, and gives each its own moment. It is a pantry-friendly bowl that feels a little dramatic, and that is exactly what some Thursdays need.

If you are deciding between rice night and pasta night, swipe this koshari recipe and skip the argument. The agent shops it, you cook it, and nobody has to pick a side.

More bowls worth swiping: Chana Masala Weeknight, Chickpea Tagine, and Budget Grocery List App.

More like this: all Middle Eastern recipes in Crave Corner.