Koshari

Kushari, a dish with roots in 19th-century Egypt, now consumed at food carts and restaurants nationwide. Ingredients include macaroni, lentils, and rice along with a tomato sauce, and it’s often topped with chickpeas or fried onions. Add a splash of hot sauce if you like!

Koshari (also spelled Koshary or Kushari) is the national dish of Egypt.  It’s served in virtually every Egyptian restaurant, in every Egyptian home, and on every Egyptian street corner.  Street vendors serve the dish from carts to people eagerly waiting in line to eat this beloved and highly popular dish.  An unusual combination, Koshari mixes lentils, macaroni noodles and rice into a single dish and it’s then topped with a spicy tomato sauce that uses a special Middle Eastern spice blend, garbanzo beans, and fried onions.  The idea sounds strange…until you taste it.  Then you’ll know why this dish is a favorite among Egyptia