Moroccan
1Preparation
- Soak the chickpeas in a large bowl of cold water for 12 hours or overnight.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Pick over the lentils for stones, rinse and drain them.
- Blend the tomatoes until smooth.
- Whisk the flour with the cup of water in a bowl until smooth with no lumps, and set it aside.
2Cooking
- Heat the oil and butter in a large pot, add the lamb, onion, celery, half the parsley and coriander, and the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper, and stir until the meat changes colour and the onion softens.
- Add the chickpeas and 1.5 litres of water and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover and simmer until the lamb is tender and the chickpeas are almost cooked.
- Add the blended tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, the litre of water and the salt, bring back to a boil, then lower the heat.
- Simmer, stirring now and then, until the lentils are cooked and the chickpeas crush easily when pressed.
- Add the vermicelli and the rest of the parsley and coriander, and cook until the vermicelli is soft.
- Whisk the tedouira again, then pour it into the soup in a thin stream while stirring constantly.
- Keep stirring over low heat until the soup thickens, turns silky and glossy, and the raw flour taste has gone.
3Serving
- Taste and adjust the salt, then ladle the harira hot into bowls.
- Serve with lemon wedges and dates on the side.
💡 Tips & common mistakes
- Common mistake: pouring in the tedouira all at once without stirring, which leaves lumps. Pour it slowly and keep stirring the whole time.
- Once the thickener is in, keep stirring from the bottom — the thick soup sticks and scorches easily.
- Harira thickens a lot by the next day; add hot water when reheating.
🔁 Substitutions
- To save time, use 1 cup of canned cooked chickpeas added with the lentils, and cut the first simmer to 30 minutes.
- Replace the vermicelli with 1/4 cup of rice, or use beef or chicken instead of lamb.
