Harira

Harira is a Moroccan soup made with tomatoes, lentils, and chickpeas. It frequently appears on lists of must-try Moroccan cuisine because of its wonderful fragrance and zesty taste. It's a common dish in Moroccan households and restaurants, and it's also available as street food. The name harira comes from the Arabic word for silk and refers to the texture of the soup after it has been thickened with eggs or a tedouira (flour and water) mixture. The tedouira (thickener) may contain yeast and should be fermented for a day or two.

Ingredients:

• 300 g beef or veal, cubed, 150 g green lentils, 150 g tinned chickpeas, 400 g tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped, 100 ml tomato paste, 3 lemons, quartered, 150 g celery, finely chopped, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 bunch coriander, finely chopped, 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 pinch saffron, 100 g sifted flour, 500 ml water, 1 large handful angel-hair pasta, Salt and pepper, to taste, 2 sparkling water

Instructions:

• Add oil to a large casserole dish along with the meat, cumin, saffron, coriander, parsley, onion, celery and salt. Cook for 5 minutes then add the sparking water and cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Add the rinsed lentils and chickpeas and allow to cook for 50 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and tomato purée and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes.
• Mix the flour with 500 ml cold water and mix well with a whisk to prevent lumps. Pour this mixture into the casserole, making sure you stir all the time.
• Add the pasta and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
• Serve hot in serving bowls, garnished with the lemon slices. Lemon juiced can be squeezed into the harira according to your guests' taste.