Harira
This is loosely based on Paula Wolfert's recipes in Moroccan Cuisine. She adds a load of chicken and puts a semolina or flour paste in at the end that I don't bother with. I prefer it heavy with chickpeas and little meat
Ingredients
- 2 large onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- handfuls of chopped parsley, coriander and celery leaves
- some lamb finely chopped (doesn't need much, and can be raw or cooked leftovers.)
- handful dried lentils (red, green or puy doesn't matter)
- 250g chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water (or two tins but cook less and won't be as good)
- 1 tin tomatoes
- handful vermicelli
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- some fresh chillies or encore/cayenne pepper - enough to give a bite but not really hot
- salt
Method
- Gently cook onion with herb parsley and celery, the pepper and turmeric in the butter. When softened a little, add the lamb and cinnamon and cook slowly for 20 minutes till golden but not brown.
- Add the lentils, drained chickpeas, coriander, a little salt, tomatoes and chillies. Cook for 15 minutes or so - don't let it dry out, then add more water to a more souplike consistency. Cook until chickpeas are tender, but you don't want them mushy - about an hour (or two) but it depends on how old the chickpeas are.
- At the very end add the vermicelli - it will only need a minute or two.
'Moroccan Cuisine' Paula Wolfert