Lentil stew

March 10, 2014  •  Category:

The name of this dish, harak osba’o, literally means “he burnt his finger” ; in other words, it was so irresistible, he (or she) could not wait for it to cool. In American terms, finger-licking good!  There are several dishes bearing that name in both Lebanese and Syrian cuisine but this one really deserves it. It is easy to prepare, (I will point out shortcuts), and is economical, healthy, and extremely delicious; it is a dish from Damascus, Syria.


pasta cut-outs

Adding pasta to lentils is a very old tradition in the Near East; my grandmother would do it when she fixed lentils for her family, with an easy homemade dough (flour and water); it was called rishta In fact, Clifford Wright, the author and researcher, wrote that pasta was actually an Arab invention and goes back to the Tunisians. I am not a historian and totally unqualified to debate this theory, but just mentioning it for the sake of trivia.  This is simply lentils cooked for a while, flavored with cilantro, onion, garlic and pomegranate molasses. The added pasta can be homemade or any small boxed pasta or even pita bread cut into croutons. 

  • INGREDIENTS: 4 servings (can multiply the amounts)
  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 4 to 5 cups water 
  • Spices: salt, to taste 
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper or allspice or seven-spice seasoning
  • To make the pesto:
  • 1/2 cup olive oil+ 1 tablespoon
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed (1 tablespoon mashed garlic paste)
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or to taste (can be substituted, see NOTE)
  • Homemade pasta: 1 cup flour, a dash of salt, enough water to form a soft dough (about 1/4 cup or more)
  • or substitute 1/2 cup small shell pasta or 1 cup of pita croutons (cut pita with scissors)
  • 1 cup oil if using homemade pasta or pita croutons

dup fry pasta 1. Place the lentils in a Dutch oven and pour the water; bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pasta by mixing the flour with some water and a dash of salt; shape into a ball and set it aside for 30 minutes. Fry the onion in olive oil till softened, about 10 minutes, then add the cilantro and garlic and fry a few seconds till the cilantro wilts and gets fragrant, stirring a bit to combine with the garlic.

2. Add the pomegranate molasses, spices and half the cilantro mixture to the lentils; stir a bit and bring back to a simmer. If using boxed pasta, add it now; if using homemade pasta, roll it out and cut it into ribbons or small squares (or have fun with it as I did using cookie cutters), and drop half the pasta into the lentils. Simmer the lentils and pasta for another 15 minutes uncovered, stirring from time to time until the stew gets thick.  Meanwhile, heat the frying oil and drop the other half of the pasta in it and fry till golden. Drain on paper towels; use the fried pasta as garnish on top of the lentils or as croutons in a small serving bowl. Garnish the dish with the remaining cilantro pesto.

  NOTE: You can use pita croutons instead, by cutting a stale pita into small squares and frying them; add 1/2 to the lentil stew and leave the other half to use as croutons on top of the stew.  NOTE: Pomegranate molasses can be substituted with the juice of a Seville orange or a large lemon (or a combo of a clementine juice and grapefruit or lemon juice)

dup harak osba3o

Comments

15 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Elizabeth says:

    This looks really, really good. I don’t know whether I can be bothered making the fresh pasta but will try with some of the dried stuff.

  2. Sylva says:

    Great recipe and so filling! Another great Joumana recipe

  3. Rosa says:

    Wonderful! I could eat that everyday.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  4. Katerina says:

    My son and husband love lentils and this is a beautiful dish especially now that it is Lent period in Greece!

  5. Belinda @zomppa says:

    The name is priceless – as are those pita croutons!

  6. Kirk says:

    That’s tonight’s dinner decided! Looks great…..

  7. Shannon says:

    I’m so intrigued by the cilantro and pomegranate combination! This sounds awesome and the pita croutons is a very cool idea.

  8. Kathy says:

    I love lentils…and this dish looks like a perfect dish for Lent…so delicious! My kind of food! My grandmother and mother always made lentils at least once a week, either lentils and rice or lentil soup! I love your croutons…will be giving those a try!

  9. Oui, Chef says:

    This look delicious and I love the little pasta crisps. Terrific name too….”he burnt his finger”…sounds like my kind of dish.

  10. Susan says:

    A delicious lentil dish that I would love! The pasta sounds like a great way to garnish this wonderful stew.

  11. MyKabulKitchen says:

    Dear Joumana,
    I believe I had this dish once at a picnic and have looked and asked around for the recipe, the problem is I could never remember the name to actually google the recipe, and once I did I have never found exactly what I was looking for. It was made by the Syrian sister-in-law of a friend, and I remember she had macaroni mixed with a creamy lentil kind of thick soup topped with cruncy fried pita. I believe this is the dish in its authentic form, thank you so much!! I have had the taste of this wholesome dish in my mouth for years, and am excited its such an easy recipe, cant wait to try it, thank you again you seem to have nearly every possible Levantine recipe!

    • Joumana says:

      @KabulKitchen: I am also interested in Afghani dishes so thank you back for providing the culinary culture from your neck of the woods!

  12. Leah Luise Russell says:

    dear joumana,
    this is one of my favorites of your recipes so far ! i love the allspice kick it gives … beautiful , sumptuous, comfort food at its best!

  13. Emory says:

    First off I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if
    you don’t mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself
    and clear your thoughts prior to writing. I’ve had a tough time clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas
    out. I truly do enjoy writing but it just seems like the first 10 to
    15 minutes are wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints?
    Thanks!

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