Harira, Moroccan beef and chickpea stew or soup is delicious, silly easy to prepare and cheap as chips. Though couscous is probably better to serve with it than chips!
What is harira?
Harira, Moroccan dish of braised beef and chickpeas, can be a soup or it can be a stew. It may contain meat minced or in chunks, or omit it altogether. Either way it’s delicious, heady with Ras el Hanout seasoning, warming and filling.
What is Ras el Hanout?
What is Ras el Hanout then? It’s a North African spice mix meaning ‘head of the shop’ which suggests it’s the best of what the spice vendor has to offer. It is indeed a wonderful seasoning, earthy and fruity, sweetish and spiced, and it gives the food an exotic, complex flavour. Very characteristic of Moroccan or Tunisian dishes, it can be added to meats, stews, soups, couscous or rice, and even to cakes in sensible quantities.
It can be a mix of over ten different spices so indeed, best of the shop! If you can buy it, making sure it’s fresh, use it out of the jar. In case you struggle to find it in your locality, I’m providing a rough recipe to make your own mix with widely available spices (as learned from Brian Lagerstrom whose recipe I’ve adapted, with thanks).
Ras el Hanout vs Baharat
You might think it’s similar to another exotic spice mix, Baharat. I’d agree with it, though it might upset the locals who would undoubtedly claim the superiority of the respective mix. Baharat is Middle Eastern, and as gorgeous as it is, probably less complex than Ras (though Syrians or Lebanese may disagree).
Can you use them interchangeably? I wouldn’t like to say as, even though they might taste similar to western palates, both are used to create different dishes in different cuisines. But in your home cooking, obviously you can use whatever you like so I’d say try it, and follow your taste.
Chickpeas: from tin or from scratch?
Unlike for bean dishes, be it chillies or cassoulets, I don’t usually bother to cook chickpeas from scratch i.e. from dried. I think the difference for beans is in the cooking liquid which is often further added to bean bakes etc., while chickpeas need to be thoroughly drained before adding to recipes.
Tinned are cooked just right and the only point I’d make is: buy organic since they taste much, much better. But, not being vegan, I don’t have any use for the liquid chickpeas have been cooked in, aquafaba.
Minced beef
Like with the chickpeas, buy organic if you can afford it. It’s better to eat less meat in general but better quality and higher welfare, if you allow this tiny lecture here. It’s your gain anyway: if you compare the amount of liquid leached from the meat whilst cooking, you’ll see my point.
And incidentally, it’s ‘ground meat’ in American English. Not judging, but ‘ground’ is technically wrong. Meat is put through a mincer, rather than pulverised between hard surfaces, which ‘grinding’ means. Unless, of course, that’s how they obtain their burger material over there!
How to cook harira
It is easy, it is frugal, and it is very delicious. It takes less than half an hour from start to finish: brown the meat, cook it with onions and spices, simmer in some liquid, be it water or stock, then add chickpeas and it’s done. It is also good for meal prep or to make in advance: it acquires a depth of flavour the longer it stands or is reheated, within reason.
And it’s versatile: you can make it as thick or soupy as you wish. My version is quite thick, to be eaten with a fork rather than a spoon because that’s how I like it. Made like this it can be served with plain rice, cooked couscous or bulgur wheat, or with some good flatbread to use as a scoop.
Variations
Beef works well in the recipe but lamb is actually the classic, and I don’t see why you could not use minced pork, chicken or even turkey though the last might be a bit too lean. Or leave out meat altogether, bulk out the vegetable content and add dry bulgur wheat into cooking.
Apart from onion and garlic, you can add finely chopped carrots, celery or fresh tomatoes.
And instead of chickpeas you can use lentils or broad beans.
More Moroccan recipes
Baba ganoush, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dish, is a wonderfully smoky, creamy and smooth dip made with whipped flesh of charred whole aubergine. Aubergine can be roasted in the oven, then skinned and creamed with lemon, tahini and olive oil.
Easy chicken tagine with raisins and barberries. Tagine dish works like a slow cooker if you use it in the oven, but depending on what it’s made from, it can also be used on the hob with a heat diffuser.
Duck pastilla, a Moroccan pie made with filo pastry layers encasing leftover roast duck mixture filling, with onions and peppers.
More minced beef recipes
Beef, ricotta and oregano meatballs from Ottolenghi are delicate and light, cooked in a richly flavoured tomato and onion sauce.
Easy slow cooked chilli con carne with minced beef, cannellini and red kidney beans, ancho and chipotle chillies and a pinch of cocoa powder. Both dry and tinned bean options in my recipe.
Homemade beef burgers recipe: easy and satisfying, especially if you get your hands dirty, mix the ingredients and form the patties by hand. Grill or fry them, not longer than 6 minutes altogether, flipping frequently.