Koshary

Koshary,kushariorkoshari(Egyptian Arabic:كشرى[ˈkoʃæɾi]) is Egypt's national dish and a widely popular street food.It is a traditionalEgyptian staple, mixingpasta, Egyptian friedrice,vermicelliand brownlentils,and topped  withchickpeas, a garlickytomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and crispyfried onions. Sprinklings ofgarlicvinegar andhot sauceare optional.
In the Egyptian Books of Genesis,the Ancient Egyptian term "Koshir" meant "Food of the rites of the Gods",the Koshir was a breakfast dish that consisted of lentils, wheat, chickpeas, garlic and onions cooked together in clay pots.It has been claimed that the original account of the book goes back toManetho. However, in the collected works of Manetho, no mention of Koshir could be found.The word is not related to the Jewish dietary laws known asKosher. A priest fromHeliopolisdescribed it as a food to eat after fasting on the 11th day of Pachons, a month in the ancient Egyptian calendar. Koshary is known as "The food of the Poor";it consists of fried onions, lentils, rice, macaroni and a red sauce. It is somewhat related toMediterranean cuisine, but theEgyptian dishhas different ingredients and flavors, especially the local Egyptian lemon sauce, which gives it the unique taste for which the dish is popular.
In 1853, in his book "Journey to Egypt and the Hijaz", explorerRichard Burtondocumented koshary as the breakfast meal of the people ofSuez. It consisted of Egyptian lentils, rice, butter, onions and pickled lemons.
Koshary was sold onfood cartsin its early years, and was introduced to restaurants later.
This dish is widely popular among workers and laborers and the dish is well-suited to mass catering events such as conferences.It may be prepared at home, and is also served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over Egypt; some restaurants specialize in koshary to the exclusion of other dishes, while others feature it as one item among many.As traditionally prepared koshary does not contain any animal products, it can be consideredvegan, as long as all frying uses vegetable oil.
Alexandriankoshary is quite different from other koshary recipes, with significant variations in taste and form. The cooking process includes yellow lentils and rice; it also usescurryandcuminin the rice, giving the koshary a uniform color. Also included are Egyptian fried eggs, which are boiled and then fried in butter, as well as lightly pickled tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, andFrench frieson the side.
Koshary has also gained popularity outside of Egypt in recent years, especially inEastern ArabiaandYemen. There are variations in each country or region, such as adding grilled vegetables and usingbasmati ricecooked either white or yellow. Other recipes of these regions include using other shapes of macaroni. The recipes could include chicken as well, making them closer tokabsain some cases.
The dish is served in Japanese cartsand has some additions added on top of the original recipe. Nontraditional ingredients, which are not typically found in Egyptian recipes, are basil chicken, raw tomatoes,sour cream,fried eggs,Cheddar sauce, avocado slices, and spicy powder withjalapeño.
An instant koshary, akin toinstant noodlesin packaging and preparation, started appearing in Egypt in 2020. It requires hot water and 5 to 10 minutes to be ready to eat.