Harira

Method

1. Cut the lamb into 1.5 cm cubes, trimming off any thick fat. Finely chop the onion and celery. Chop the coriander and parsley, stalks included, and keep them in two separate piles. Halve the tomatoes and grate the cut side on a box grater, discarding the skins. Rinse the lentils in a sieve and pick out any small stones.

2. Put the oil and butter in a 3 L pot over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the lamb, onion, celery, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, the first portion of salt and half of the coriander and parsley. Stir for 6 min, until the meat is no longer pink on the outside and the onion is soft and fragrant.

   Add in this stepOlive oil 1 tbspButter (or smen) 15 gLamb shoulder (or beef chuck), boneless 120 gOnion 100 gCelery stalk with leaves 40 gGround ginger ½ tspGround turmeric ½ tspGround cinnamon 1 pinchBlack pepper ½ tspSalt 0.4 tspFresh coriander (cilantro) 5 gFlat-leaf parsley 5 g

   medium heat

3. Stir in the grated tomato and the tomato paste. Cook on medium heat for 5 min, stirring now and then, until the mixture darkens slightly and the raw tomato smell has gone.

   Add in this stepRipe tomatoes 300 gTomato paste 1 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Pour in the water and add the lentils. Bring to a boil on high heat, skim off the grey foam, then turn down to medium-low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 45 min, until the lamb gives easily when pressed with a spoon and the lentils are soft.

   Add in this stepWater 1,100 mlGreen or brown lentils 50 g

   high heat→medium-low heat

5. Add the chickpeas and broken vermicelli and simmer uncovered on medium heat for 8 min, stirring from the bottom now and then so the noodles don't stick, until the vermicelli is soft.

   Add in this stepCooked chickpeas (canned, drained) 120 gThin vermicelli, broken into 2 cm pieces 20 g

   medium heat

6. Make the tedouira (the thickener): whisk the flour into the cold water in a bowl until completely smooth, with no lumps. Pour it into the soup in a thin stream while stirring constantly, then add the remaining herbs and salt. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5 min, stirring, until the soup turns silky, lightly coats the back of a spoon and no longer tastes of raw flour. If it gets too thick, add a splash of hot water.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 20 gCold water (for the flour paste) 120 mlFresh coriander (cilantro) 5 gFlat-leaf parsley 5 gSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium-low heat

7. Taste and adjust the salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over at the table.

   Add in this stepLemon ½