birthday harira

[ursula]

I made harira with lamb and kale for glasseye's birthday, with greatly appreciated assistance from his mother:



I adapted a recipe from Paula Wolfert's Food of Morocco, making fairly significant changes. The two big ones in terms of technique are that I converted for the Instant Pot and I didn't add a thickening agent to the broth. (The latter shortcut might make this technically not a harira, since they are supposed to be silky! I personally like soupier soups, though.)

Here's my recipe:

Mix together:

1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ground paprika.

Add to the Instant Pot:

Two lamb shanks (a bit more than 2 pounds)
1 cup rinsed (but not soaked) dry chickpeas
1/2 onion, grated
Pinch saffron threads, ground and dissolved in water
1 stick cinnamon
Half a 28-oz can of plum tomatoes, chopped finely, with their juice
5 cups water

Seal the lid and set for 40 minutes on the "meat stew" setting.

Meanwhile, peel two cloves of garlic and smash with a mortar and pestle. Rinse a bunch of kale and strip the leaves from the stems; discard the stems. Heat some olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic; stir until aromatic. Add the kale, the rest of the spices, and a pinch of salt. Stir until the kale begins to wilt, then add a splash of water, cover the pan, and turn the heat to low. Cook for about twenty minutes, or until the kale is soft.

When the lamb and chickpeas are done, release the steam, remove the lid, and stir in the kale and garlic. Add a large pinch of salt and the juice of half a lemon. Simmer on the saute setting for about five minutes to blend the flavors.

Serve with rice, couscous, or bread to soak up the juices.