Egyptian · main

Koshari

Name: Koshari
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups white rice; 1 cup brown lentils; 2 cups small elbow macaroni; 1 cup chickpeas, cooked; 2 cups crispy fried onions; 1 can (14 oz) canned tomatoes; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp coriander; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 3 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste

Koshari reads sourness 4.4, sweetness 4.1 and richness 4.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Egyptian main, about 1 hr 10 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 3.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 4.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 4.4 · Sweetness 4.1 · Richness 4.0 · Allium 3.7 · Salinity 3.1 · Umami 2.8 · Fruity 2.8 · Earthy 2.7 · Heat 2.7 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Nutty 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.8 · Citrus 1.7 · Funk & Ferment 1.6 · Bitterness 1.2 · Floral 0.9

What's in it (13)

1.5 cups white rice
1 cup brown lentils
2 cups small elbow macaroni
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
2 cups crispy fried onions
1 can (14 oz) canned tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 1 hr 10 min (30 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 217.8 kcal, 8.9 g protein, 1.4 g fat, 41.9 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (4 steps)

Cook the rice and lentils together, and separately boil the macaroni; heat the chickpeas.
Make a spiced tomato sauce by simmering tomatoes with garlic, cumin, vinegar, and cayenne until thick.
Make a sharp garlic-vinegar sauce called dakka by combining garlic, vinegar, cumin, and water.
Layer rice-lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas in a bowl, top with tomato sauce, drizzle with dakka, and crown with a mountain of crispy onions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

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Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili with Buttermilk Cornbread — American
Mchuzi wa Samaki (Swahili Fish Curry) — Swahili Coast
Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Comeback Sauce — Southern
Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth) — Indian · Tamil Nadu

Keep reading: what sourness, sweetness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.