Harira
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g braising beef or boneless beef, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 3cm pieces
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- pinch of saffron
- 70g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 140g canned chickpeas, drained)
- 6 large tomatoes, grated or blitzed in a food processor
- 100g celery (2 stalks), finely chopped
- 80g dried green lentils
- 3 tbsp cornflour or plain flour
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the meat, onion and spices with 1½ tsp salt. Leave for 5-10 mins to lightly brown the meat, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients except the lentils, cornflour, coriander and lemon wedges. Add 1 litre of boiling water, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave to simmer for 1 hr.
- STEP 2
Add the lentils to the casserole, cover with a lid and cook for a further 20 mins. When the chickpeas, meat and lentils are cooked, mix the cornflour in a small bowl with 3 tbsp water, and stir until smooth. Stir the cornflour mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 5 mins until the harira thickens and takes on a velvety texture.
- STEP 3
Scatter over the coriander, then serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.
