Feast
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2. To start the meat and broth: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in the bottom half of the couscoussière (or a large pot). Add the meat, saffron, onion, tomatoes, and 6 cups (1.5 liters) water. Add the pepper and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cook for 45 minutes, or until both the meat and chickpeas are just tender. Add the olive oil and 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter.
3. Continue cooking the couscous: Place the top part of the couscoussière (or colander) with the couscous in it on top of the broth. Cover and let steam for 15 minutes. Remove the top part of the couscoussière (or colander) and cover the pot. Let the meat and chickpeas continue to cook. Tip the steamed couscous into the shallow bowl and sprinkle with another ⅔ cup (160 ml) water, this time using a wooden spoon to stir the couscous as you sprinkle (unless your hands can stand the heat, which Moroccan cooks seem to be able to!). Once all the water is incorporated and there are no lumps, add the 2 tablespoons (30 g) melted butter. Mix well. Cover the bowl and let sit to allow the couscous to fluff up, while you finish the meal.
4. Add the cabbage to the bottom half of the couscoussière (or the pot) and cook for 15 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, turnips, fava beans, herbs, raisins, and pepper flakes to the broth. Return the couscous to the top half of the couscoussière (or the colander), place over the broth, and let steam uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
5. To serve, pile the steamed couscous in the shape of a pyramid in a large shallow serving bowl. Flatten the top and arrange the meat on top and the vegetables around the sides. Pour the broth into a sauceboat and serve hot, with harissa on the side for those who like their couscous spicy.
South Asian Meat, Legumes, and Wheat “Porridge”
PAKISTANI/INDIAN HALEEM
PAKISTAN | INDIA
Here is the Pakistani/Indian version of h’risseh. There are slight variations between the Pakistani and Indian haleems—not to mention regional variations in each country, with Hyderabadi haleem being one of the most famous—but the differences are not that great, so I have simplified and am giving one general recipe here as an example of a South Asian haleem (see Note). It is a lot spicier and more complex than the Levantine h’risseh, the Arabian h’riss, or the Iranian haleem.
Haleem is sold on the street all year long and it is also prepared for both the month of Ramadan and the month of Muharram. You can see it being made on the street in India, in huge cauldrons placed over wood fires, and it is a spectacle to behold. The cauldrons are massive and the amounts of meat and grain used are astonishing, as is the labor required to prepare the dish in such huge quantities. Fortunately, the quantities in this recipe are just enough to feed a family, and apart from the stirring at the end to mash the ingredients into one another, the process is very simple. Most people use a hand blender now to mash the ingredients, but I prefer the texture achieved by stirring the mixture by hand.
SERVES 6 TO 8
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
1 pound 10 ounces (750 g) boneless lamb leg or stewing beef or veal, cut into medium chunks
2 inches (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
6 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
2 bay leaves
½ cup (15 g) dried rose petals
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups (400 g) wheat berries, soaked overnight in cold water
1 cup (200 g) hulled barley, soaked overnight in cold water
1 cup (200 g) chana dal (split yellow peas), soaked for 1 hour in cold water
1 cup (200 g) red lentils
4 tablespoons (60 g) ghee or unsalted butter
Sea salt
FOR THE GARNISH
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 large onions (14 ounces/400 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
Ghee (optional), melted
2 lemons, quartered
Handful of cilantro leaves
2 green chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
Naan (optional), for serving
1. Heat the ¼ cup (60 ml) oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring regularly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and sauté until it has browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and stir for a minute or so. Add the bay leaves, dried rose petals, and spices and stir for a couple of minutes.
2. Drain the grains and dal and add them to the meat and onions (see Note) together with the red lentils. Add 2 quarts (2 liters) water and bring to a boil. Add the ghee, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring regularly. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water and continue simmering for another hour, stirring very regularly, until the meat is very tender and the grains and legumes have dissolved into a thick porridge-like mixture. Add salt to taste.
3. Meanwhile, to make the garnish: Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat until hot (if you drop a piece of bread in the oil, the oil should immediately bubble around it). Add the sliced onion and fry, stirring regularly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the onions. Transfer to a sieve and shake to drain off the excess oil and keep the onion wedges crisp.
4. Once the haleem is cooked, it needs to be mashed, either by hand or with a hand blender.
Hand method: With a wooden spoon, beat the meat, grains, and legumes in the pot until the meat disintegrates completely into the mashed-up porridge.
Blender method: Use a hand blender, as many do in both Pakistan and India, to process the grains and meat into a thick porridge-like texture. Use the blender in pulses as you want the haleem to retain a little texture.
5. Transfer the haleem to a large shallow round or oval serving bowl. If desired, sprinkle a little ghee over the haleem, then garnish with the lemon quarters along the edges of the bowl. Scatter the fried onions in a circle or oval (depending on the bowl) inside the edges of the haleem. Mix the cilantro with the chilies and scatter in the middle. Serve hot with or without naan.
NOTE: There are two ways of making haleem. Some people cook the grains and legumes separately from the spiced meat/onion mixture, then finish everything together. I have chosen the simpler option of cooking everything together, which some cooks do as well.
Wheat and Meat “Porridge”
H’RISSEH
LEBANON
H’risseh, harissa, or h’riss in the Arab world, keskek in Turkey, bokoboko in Zanzibar, or haleem in Pakistan, India, and Iran—these are all different names for more or less the same dish made with meat and grain (and in the case of haleem, also legumes) that is slow-cooked for so long that the ingredients dissolve into a thick porridge. In Lebanon, h’risseh is served at ‘Ashura, the tenth day of the month of Muharram marking the death anniversary of the Prophet’s grandson, Hussein bin Ali, as an alms dish to share with those less fortunate. Its origins are reputed to go back to the sixth century during the time of Persian king Khosrow. The Muslims discovered it when they conquered Persia some hundred years later, and as with Tharid, it became a favorite of the Prophet’s. In Iran it is eaten for breakfast, in India it is street food, in Pakistan it is served at main meals, usually lunch, and in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, the same.
It can be made with either chicken or lamb. Ideally, you should cook the meat on the bone, then take it out to discard the bones before returning it to the pot. On the street in India, they cook, bone, and mash the meat before adding it to the grain and legumes. The recipe changes from one country to another, with Pakistan and India using a lot more spices, whereas the Levantine version is fairly plain. Also it is one of those seminal Muslim dishes that is associated with both ‘Ashura and Ramadan. For instance, in Lebanon, h’risseh is prepared in huge vats during Muharram to give out to
those in need, as well as to neighbors, family, and friends. In the Gulf, h’riss is an essential dish during the month of Ramadan, and in some mosques you will find hugh pots of h’riss in the courtyard ready to serve to whomever wishes to have some. I give recipes for two other versions: Pakistani/Indian Haleem and Persian Haleem.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 whole chicken (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg) or 1 small lamb leg (ask your butcher to skin and trim the leg of most of its fat and cut it into medium chunks, still on the bone)
2½ cups (300 g) wheat berries or barley
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Sea salt
6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons (45 g) for finishing
1. Put the chicken or lamb in a large pot and add 2 quarts (2 liters) water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming any froth from the surface. Reduce the heat to medium and add the wheat (or barley) and cinnamon sticks. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is done—the lamb will take about 30 minutes longer.
2. Lift the chicken or lamb out of the pot and discard the cinnamon sticks. Reduce the heat to low and let the grain simmer while you take the meat off the bone. Discard the chicken skin or most of the fat off the lamb and shred the meat into small pieces.
3. Return the meat to the pot. Add the allspice, 7-spice mixture, pepper, salt to taste, and 6 tablespoons (90 g) of the butter. Cover and continue simmering for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the grain is cooked. If you find that the h’risseh is getting too dry, add a little water, although not too much because you should end up with a thick porridge-like mixture.
4. Once the grain is very tender, reduce the heat to very low. Then start stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, cutting into the meat pieces to shred them further. You want the meat to disintegrate into the wheat. You can also pulse it with a hand blender, but be careful not to process it too much. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to and keep the pot covered until serving.
5. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat until the butter starts sizzling and colors lightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Pour the h’risseh into a large shallow serving bowl. Make grooves here and there. Pour the browned butter into the grooves. Serve hot.
Persian Meat and Wheat “Porridge”
PERSIAN HALEEM
IRAN
It was in Rasht, in the Gilan province of Iran, where I was researching an article on Iranian food that I first tried Persian haleem. It is quite different from the Pakistani/Indian version, with no legumes and a lot fewer seasonings. Rasht is not so far from Tehran and we got there in the morning just in time for breakfast. We found a rather kitsch pink café—the walls had been painted pink, and on each table there were plastic pink tulips—to have breakfast. As I peeked through a door that opened onto the courtyard, I found a burly man sitting on a stool by a huge copper pot placed over a low gas fire. He was bent over the pot, holding a long wooden paddle and stirring and beating whatever was in the pot. I got closer to him and realized he was cooking haleem, which he’d been stirring for hours. Luckily for me and my friend Ali Farboud, who took the Iranian pictures in this book, the haleem was just about ready and we asked if we could have some. It was delectable, with the grain and meat completely melded into a thick porridge-like mixture. I was surprised to find him still beating the haleem by hand with a wooden paddle as most people nowadays use a hand blender to pulverize the meat and grain. The texture of the hand-beaten haleem is superior, but if you don’t have the time, or the energy, to beat the haleem by hand, use a hand blender in pulses to mash it.
SERVES 4
2 small lamb shanks (1 pound 10 ounces/750 g total)
⅓ cup (50 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water with ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1¼ cups (250 g) wheat berries, soaked overnight in cold water
Sea salt
FOR THE GARNISH
4 tablespoons (60 g) ghee or unsalted butter, melted
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Raw cane sugar (optional)
1. Put the meat in a large pot. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the meat. Add water to cover by 1½ inches (3.5 cm). Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming any froth from the surface. Add the onion, turmeric, and pepper and let bubble gently for 1 hour 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the drained wheat in a medium pot and add water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for at least 2 hours, until very tender, checking on the water so that it doesn’t dry up.
3. Reserving the broth, drain the meat, onions, and chickpeas. Set the chickpeas aside in a small saucepan to use as a garnish and cover with a little broth so that you can reheat them. On a cutting board, take the meat off the bone. Trim off any fat and cartilage and shred the meat. You can also process it or, if you have the energy, pound it in a mortar with a pestle, which is how it was done traditionally. Transfer the onions and meat to a mixing bowl.
4. When the wheat is done, uncover the pan and skim any husks that have floated to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and start stirring the wheat to help it disintegrate. Keep stirring until the wheat and cooking liquid become like a thick soup. Scoop a little out and mix with the meat and onions. Then pour the meat-onions-wheat mixture into the wheat and keep stirring until the meat, onions, and wheat are well blended and you have a somewhat stretchy “porridge.”
5. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl. Drain the chickpeas and scatter them over the haleem before pouring the melted ghee or butter over the top. Sprinkle with a little ground cinnamon and cane sugar (if using) and serve hot, with more cinnamon and sugar if desired.
Qatari Chicken “Porridge”
QATARI MADHRUBA
QATAR
Madhruba means “beaten” in Arabic, and the dish is a kind of savory porridge made with cracked wheat (jerish). The flavorings are fresh with both fresh tomatoes and tomato paste used in the dish, adding both color and flavor, together with the ever-present garlic and ginger pastes that must be a South Asian influence. I learned to make madhruba with Aisha al-Tamimi, Qatar’s foremost celebrity chef, and the first thing she did after organizing her mise en place was to dry-sauté the chicken to get rid of the off flavor that chicken usually has. (You won’t need to do this if you buy good organic chicken. And don’t wash it as she does. Washing chicken presents more risk of salmonella with contaminated droplets of water flying here and there on your counter.) Aisha uses black dried limes instead of pale ones in dishes where the color does not matter, saying they are more flavorful.
SERVES 8
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), finely chopped
1 dried red chili pepper, left whole
1 whole chicken (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg), cut into 8 pieces
4 black dried limes, pulp only (seeds and peel discarded)
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
1 tablespoon b’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture)
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground fennel
1 star anise
½ cup (125 g) tomato paste
4 large tomatoes (1 pound 5 ounces/600 g total), peeled and pureed in a food processor
3 cups (600 g) jerish (coarsely cracked wheat), soaked overnight in plent
y of cold water
1 cup (200 g) basmati rice, soaked for 1 hour in lightly salted water
½ green bell pepper, trimmed, deseeded, and cut into medium wedges
A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, most of the bottom stems discarded, coarsely chopped
A few sprigs cilantro, most of the bottom stems discarded, coarsely chopped
3 sprigs fresh dill, bottom stems discarded, coarsely chopped
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and chili pepper and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the chicken, dried lime pulp, ginger, and garlic. Add the spices, tomato paste, and pureed tomatoes. Drain the jerish and rice and add them to the pot. Add the green pepper and herbs. Cover with 2 quarts (2 liters) water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer, stirring every now and then, for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed but without the grain and rice becoming too dry—if the grain is getting too dry, add a little water. Serve hot.
Sweet Couscous
SEFFA
MOROCCO
Moroccans have a course called avant les desserts (meaning “before the desserts” in French) and this sweet couscous is served at the end of the meal, not so much as a dessert but as a semisweet finish before the fruit and mint tea are brought in. I have had it like this, but I actually prefer it for breakfast, even if none of my Moroccan friends would approve. Seffa is normally prepared with the finest grade couscous, which is not available precooked—not to mention that hardly anyone in Morocco would use precooked. Also called “instant,” precooked couscous is the type where you pour boiling water over it and let it sit until it absorbs the water. North Africans like their couscous very fluffy and the only way to achieve that is to make it the traditional way, by steaming it at least twice. Some steam their couscous up to five times, but this may be going too far. Twice is good for me and I never do anything else. I buy my couscous from Moroccan stores that import it from Morocco. Though instant couscous is convenient, the texture is never as good; and in the case of seffa, the difference is even more noticeable than when couscous is served with meat and/or vegetables.