Koshari is the Egyptian street-food dish combining rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and tomato sauce.
A typical bowl layers or mixes rice, brown lentils, short pasta, and chickpeas, then adds a spiced tomato sauce. Fried onions provide crunch, while garlic vinegar and hot sauce are often served separately. The dish is filling, inexpensive, and naturally vegetarian in its classic form.
Koshari became a major urban Egyptian comfort food and is sold by specialist restaurants, street vendors, and takeaway counters. Its unusual combination reflects the meeting of several culinary influences in modern Egypt, including rice-and-lentil traditions and pasta introduced through Mediterranean connections.
Spellings include koshari, kushari, and kosheri. These refer to the same dish, not separate foods. It should also be distinguished from ful medames, a fava-bean dish that is another important Egyptian breakfast and street-food staple.