✨ Newdinner
Koshari
Egypt's beloved street food — a hearty bowl of rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas topped with a spiced tomato sauce, crispy fried onions and a garlicky vinegar dressing.
⏱ 80 min🔥 580 kcalMedium
★4.7(1,042)
🇪🇬
Egyptian Lentils Recipes
13 recipes using lentils — Koshari, ful medames, molokhia — ancient recipes from the Nile valley.
These 13 egyptian lentils recipes are ready in about 117 minutes on average, with 240–620 kcal per serving, and 23% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
13
recipes
117 min
average time
470 kcal
avg per serving
23%
easy recipes
How Egyptian cuisine cooks with lentils
Egyptian cuisine — Koshari, ful medames, molokhia — ancient recipes from the Nile valley — brings its own distinctive techniques and seasonings to every ingredient it touches. When Egyptian cooks work with lentils, they reach for its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, frying, boiling and grilling.
Quick-cooking pulses that bring earthy heartiness and plant protein to soups, dals, stews and salads. In this collection it's most often cooked with ground cumin, garlic, olive oil, fine sea salt, onions and ground coriander. The dishes here span egyptian classics ready in as little as 45 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Koshary — Egyptian Street Food is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 4,321 ratings.
13 Egyptian Lentils Recipes
✨ Newlunch
Koshary — Egyptian Street Food
Egypt's ultimate street food: layers of rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas topped with spiced tomato sauce, crispy onions and a garlic-vinegar daqqa — the country's most beloved dish.
⏱ 80 min🔥 620 kcalMedium
★4.9(4,321)
dinner
Koshari
Egypt's beloved street food national dish — a hearty bowl of rice, lentils, and pasta topped with spiced tomato sauce, crispy fried onions, and a garlicky vinegar drizzle.
⏱ 80 min🔥 460 kcalMedium
★4.9(2,130)
lunch
Kushari (Egyptian Street Food Rice Bowl)
Egypt's most popular street dish — a layered bowl of rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, crispy onions and two sauces: spicy tomato and tangy vinegar. Cairo on a plate.
⏱ 80 min🔥 580 kcalMedium
★4.7(512)
✨ Newbreakfast
Ful Medames
Egypt's national breakfast — slow-simmered fava beans crushed at the bowl with lemon, garlic, cumin, and olive oil.
⏱ 660 min🔥 380 kcalEasy
★4.8(1,280)
✨ Newlunch
Koshari (Egyptian Rice, Lentil and Pasta Bowl with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Cairo's beloved national street food — layered rice, brown lentils, macaroni and chickpeas under a garlicky tomato sauce, crisp fried onions, and a fiery vinegar-chilli daqqa.
⏱ 85 min🔥 580 kcalMedium
★4.9(670)
dinner
Koshari
Egypt's national dish — layered rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas with tomato sauce and crispy onions.
⏱ 80 min🔥 580 kcalMedium
★4.9(2,840)
✨ Newdinner
Egyptian Koshari Bowl
Egypt's beloved national dish of layered rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas, topped with spiced tomato sauce and crispy fried onions.
⏱ 65 min🔥 520 kcalMedium
★4.7(68)
✨ Newdinner
Egyptian Red Lentil Stew with Cumin Yogurt
A hearty Egyptian-style red lentil stew brightened with lemon, topped with a dollop of garlicky cumin yogurt.
⏱ 45 min🔥 285 kcalEasy
★4.6(78)
✨ Newsnack
Egyptian Crispy Lentil Fritters (Adasiya)
Crisp, golden lentil fritters spiced with cumin and coriander — an Egyptian street-style snack served with lemon and tahini.
⏱ 55 min🔥 285 kcalMedium
★4.6(54)
✨ Newlunch
Egyptian Koshari Bowl
Egypt's national dish of rice, lentils and pasta topped with a tangy tomato sauce, crispy onions and chickpeas.
⏱ 65 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
★4.7(52)
✨ Newsoup
Egyptian Red Lentil Soup (Shorbet Ads)
A smooth, cumin-scented red lentil soup finished with fried garlic, lemon and a swirl of olive oil.
⏱ 45 min🔥 240 kcalEasy
★4.6(48)
🌙
✨ Newdinner
Egyptian Ramadan Iftar Platter
A festive fast-breaking spread of stuffed grape leaves, lentil soup, grilled kofta and dates, arranged for sharing at sundown.
⏱ 105 min🔥 520 kcalHard
★4.7(35)
Choosing & preparing lentils
How to choose
Choose by type: red/yellow lentils break down into creamy dals and soups; green and Puy lentils hold their shape for salads and sides. Look for whole, unbroken, uniform pulses.
Prep & storage
No soaking needed — just rinse and pick out any stones. Add salt and acid towards the end, since early acidity can keep them firm; aromatics in the cooking water build flavour from the start.
Nutrition
An excellent source of plant protein, fibre, iron and folate, with a low glycaemic impact that keeps you full.
Classic flavour partners: cumin, garlic, onion, ginger, tomatoes, spinach
Egyptian Lentils Recipes — FAQ
How long do Egyptian lentils recipes take to make?
Most of these 13 Egyptian lentils recipes are ready in around 117 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Egyptian Red Lentil Stew with Cumin Yogurt, takes about 45 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 660 minutes.
How many calories are in Egyptian lentils dishes?
Across this collection they range from about 240 to 620 kcal per serving, averaging 470 kcal — Egyptian Red Lentil Soup (Shorbet Ads) is the lightest option at 240 kcal.
What is the easiest Egyptian lentils recipe for beginners?
Ful Medames is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 660 minutes. 23% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
What goes well with lentils in Egyptian cooking?
In these recipes, lentils is most often paired with ground cumin, garlic, olive oil, fine sea salt, onions and ground coriander. Egyptian kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
More Egyptian Recipes by Ingredient
Lentils Recipes from Other Cuisines
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