Recipe: how to make a quick harira
Delicious food during Ramadan? In The Ramadan Cookbook – the first cookbook specially dedicated to the fasting month – Mounir Toub shows you the most delicious recipes for Ramadan, Eid and other festive occasions. One of his favourites is harira. ‘During the fasting month, I eat harira every evening.’
Oh, we totally understand! We love harira too; it’s one of the most delicious soups we know. Moroccan comfort food to look forward to time and again. North African cuisine is known for its ‘warm’ spices, and with cumin, coriander and legumes, this is truly a winner to have in your repertoire. And with this quick harira from Mounir, it’s an absolute star dish.
How to make a quick harira
Mounir: ‘I never eat the same thing two days in a row; the only exception is harira during Ramadan. I break my fast with a date and a glass of water, and then I always have a bowl of this soup. Boring? It may sound that way, but I look forward to it every day. When you’re busy with all kinds of things during Ramadan, you need a version that doesn’t have to simmer for 4 hours. This quick harira is on the table within half an hour and is at least as delicious as the slow version.’
Preparation
1 Place the diced tomatoes, onion, parsley, coriander and celery leaves in a blender or food processor and blend until finely ground.
2 Heat some olive oil in a soup pot and add the ground vegetables. Season with the salt, pepper, ground ginger, cinnamon and saffron, and cook for 2 minutes.
3 Deglaze with the stock and bring to the boil.
4 Meanwhile, roll the minced meat into small balls and add them to the boiling soup, along with the chickpeas, lentils and vermicelli. Heat everything for 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
5 Make a slurry with the flour and 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the harira to thicken it. Bring everything back to the boil while stirring and simmer for another 2 minutes.
Tip:
For an even bigger burst of flavour, buy seasoned minced meat from the butcher.
Title: The Ramadan Cookbook
Author: Mounir Toub
Price: €27,50
Publisher: Kosmos
Also read:
- Delicious Ramadan dish: roasted aubergines with toppings
- Our favourite dish from Moroccan cuisine: chicken bastilla
- What to buy at the Turkish supermarket?
