Egyptian Koshari

Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with cold water to cover by 5cm. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 20–25 minutes until just tender — they should hold their shape completely but have no chalkiness at the center when bitten. Drain, season lightly with salt, and set aside.

Slice onions very thinly and uniformly (use a mandoline or patient knife work — 2mm). Heat neutral oil to 170°C (340°F) in a wide pan (enough oil to submerge the onions — at least 2cm deep). Fry onions in batches, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden-brown and visibly crisp, 12–18 minutes per batch. They continue to darken after removal — pull them at amber, not brown. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately.

In a separate saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic for the sauce and cook until golden, 1–2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, and chili flakes; bloom for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes until the sauce has thickened to a loose, concentrated paste and the raw tomato taste is gone. Separately, mix minced raw garlic with red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt for the toum el-khal (garlic vinegar).

Rinse rice until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast broken vermicelli in a dry pan (or in 1 tsp oil) until golden. Add rice and toast 1 minute more. Add water (1.75x the volume of rice + vermicelli combined) and salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat. Cook 17 minutes, then rest off heat for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Cook macaroni in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain. To assemble: layer the bottom of a deep bowl with rice-vermicelli, then lentils, then macaroni. Top with a generous handful of crispy fried onions. At the table, ladle tomato sauce liberally over the top and add a spoonful of garlic vinegar. The correct eating order is to mix everything together.