Recipe For Tunisian Shorba Food

SHORBA LIBYA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions for a few minutes until tender. Add the lamb, chickpeas, tomato puree, spices and salt, and cook for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• Cover the mixture with water, stir, then simmer with the lid on for 30-45 minutes or until the lamb is cooked. Add extra water if required and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Stir in the crushed mint about 10 minutes before the end, then squeeze in the lemon-juice just before serving. Serves 4-6.

RECIPE FOR TUNISIAN SHORBA

Steps:

• With a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic and ras el hanout spices.
• In a large soup pot, add enough oil to fully cover the bottom and turn the heat on between medium and medium high.
• Add in the garlic and spice mixture, onion, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and saute for a few minutes until it all comes together and is fragrant.
• Add your meat or chicken and continue to saute a few more minutes. You may need to add a little water at this point to keep the meat or chicken from sticking or burning.
• Add enough water to fill your pot about 3/4 of the way, or about the amount of finished soup you want to have.
• *Note: If you're not sure, add a little less than you might think because you can add as it cooks if it starts to look to thick or reduce too much.
• Add the frik and celery, reduce the heat to low and cook for approximately one hour or until meat is tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
• Optional: if desired, add chickpeas to the soup. If using canned/cooked chickpeas, add towards the end of cooking just to heat through. If using dried chickpeas, add them at the same time as the meat.
• To finish, add the cilantro and mint and serve with bread. Enjoy

CHORBA SOUP WITH LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and add to pan. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring, until it has browned.
• Mix 1/2 cup of the tomato puree with 1/2 cup water, and add it to the pan along with 3 tablespoons of the harissa. Cook for a couple of minutes; add the onion, celery, parsley and the remaining tomato puree. Stir in 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer, and cook over low heat, covered, until the lamb is very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add another 3 cups water, and bring to a boil. Slowly add the barley, millet or orzo in a thin stream, stirring. Cook about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and harissa if desired. Serve with lemon wedges.

TUNISIAN CHAKCHOUKA

Steps:

• Cut the tomatoes into large pieces. Deseed and dice all the peppers.
• Heat olive oil in a medium size pot. The flavor belongs in the recipe, so use a good amount of it. Add the onion and garlic, and before it is brown, add the cumin. When the cumin is blended, add the tomatoes and peppers, the tomato concentrate, and the harissa. Add salt. Blend the ingredients with a long spoon. Add 1 - 3 bay leaves, and the thyme.
• As soon as the vegetables are cooked, and the consistency is a bit thickened, add the eggs. The eggs will be poached in the pot. Space the eggs to give them room. Put the lid of the pot on. Wait for the white to set, as much as 15 minutes, depending on how high your heat is. The yolk should be runny.
• When you serve this, dish up an amount of the vegetable part into a wide soup dish, then carefully center an egg into this. Repeat for four people. Have french bread cut and ready to dip into the chakchouka.
• Note: the amounts of tomato concentrate and harissa, which is quite hot, can be adjusted to personal taste. You could lessen the garlic amount if you like.

CHORBA FRIK

Steps:

• Gently fry the onion until soft. Add the Garlic cook for another 2 mins then add the Cayenne and Paprika and cook for another minute.
• Add the tomato puree and stock and bring to the boil, add the Frik and simmer covered for 30 mins until Frik is soft. (I like to then wizz with a blender) Add the chickpeas and herbs and cook for a few mins until chickpeas are heated.
• Add a squeeze of lemon and serve with the Borek (see separate recipes)...... Bliss.