Algerian Hariri
Abuja, Nigeria · View all recipes
Overview
Hariri is a rich North African soup made in both Algeria and Morocco, and the Algerian version differs from its Moroccan neighbour in one clear respect: it contains no lentils. Lamb, chickpeas, tomato and a heavy hand of warm spices carry it instead. Ramadan is when it matters most. Hariri is iftar food, the substantial thing eaten to break a day's fast, and it is made in quantity across Algeria through the month. It is also eaten at other times as a starter or a light meal in its own right, and it is served with potatoes or rice as well as on its own. It is not a quick soup, and the source is direct about starting early: the total cooking time runs to around two hours and twenty minutes, most of it slow and unattended, which is what softens the lamb and lets the spices settle into the broth. The spicing is characteristic rather than fierce: turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and black pepper together, with coriander added near the end so its aroma survives, and lemon wedges served alongside for a sharpness that cuts the richness.
AFN Heritage Note
Hariri is a North African soup prepared in Algeria and Morocco, the Algerian version distinguished by the absence of lentils. It is conventionally served at iftar during Ramadan.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Put a pot or casserole over heat, melt the butter and add the onions.
- 2
Fry until the onions are translucent.
- 3
Add the lamb and fry for about 15 minutes.
- 4
Add all the spices, stir, and fry for a further 5 minutes.
- 5
Pour in the blended tomatoes and the tomato purée, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- 6
Pour in water and cover the pot. Let it cook and simmer slowly for 2 hours.
- 7
About 15 minutes before the end, add the chickpeas and the coriander.
- 8
Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Debbie Obierika- Start early. The full cooking time is over two hours and most of it is an unattended simmer that cannot be shortened without leaving the lamb tough.
- Fry the spices in the fat for the full five minutes before any liquid goes in. That step is what separates a rich hariri from a thin one.
- Add the coriander near the end. Its aroma is volatile and two hours of simmering destroys it.
- Use tinned chickpeas late as the recipe directs, or soak dried ones overnight and add them earlier so they soften.
- The lemon is not decoration. Its sharpness cuts the fat from the lamb and butter, and the soup is noticeably flatter without it.
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