SHORBA

AUTHOR:
MAE

Shorba - clear meat and wheat broth soup.
Serves 6-8 people



The soup base:

-Wash and soak 2 cups of medium cracked wheat for 2-3 hours. 
-Once soaked drain the water.

-Next in a large high sided heavy bottom pot add:

(Pre-soaked) drained cracked wheat
5 cups of water
Lamb/chicken/veg stock cubes X 4( chicken is my preference)
a pinch of turmeric
peppercorns X 8
cardimons X 3
cloves X 3
Dried (birds eye) chillies 1-3 ( not necessary if you wish to keep it mild)
a stick of cinnamon
Salt to taste.

-On a medium heat boil until the wheat has soften and is ready to eat. -Check by mashing a couple of grains between your forefinger and thumb. The grain should be soft enough to mash leaving just a tiny firm fibre part in the middle. 
(Takes 4-6 hours on medium heat )

-Add more water as and when needed, enough that the “water line” is about an inch above the “wheat line”. (Do not be tempted to add too much water at the cooking stage as extra water is added at final stage to get to the right consistency of soup- if you add too much water it could become too watery at the end once everything is added, remember it's easier to add at the end then take away). 

-Once cooked it is ready for the addition of the other ingredients which can be added straight away if pre-prepped or the soup base can be set aside left to cool and added to later on. 



N.B.
Before adding the other ingredients this is the perfect time to fish out the unwanted whole spices. 




Meat:
about 400g boneless lamb meat (ideally from the leg portion)

Thinly cut small pieces of lamb (no bigger than an inch in height and half cm thick).

In a medium heavy bottom pot add:
oil 3-4 tbspn 
onion 2 medium finely chopped

On a medium-high flame cook until translucent
Next add: 
ginger 3 tspns
garlic 2 tspns

Cook for a of minute

Next add the meat -Brown off the meat 

Next add:
turmeric ⅓ tspn
salt to taste
chilli powder to taste
100-150 ml water

Cook on a medium-low flame until the meat is tender- If there is still plenty water left, turn up the heat to dry off any excess water (stiring continuously so that it does not burn) so that you are just left with a thick gravy coating.
Set a side.



Tomato:

Blanch 5-6 medium tomatoes remove skin and blitz. Also set aside.



​
Combining the dish:


-To the soup base add the meat with its gravy
(Once you have taken out the meat and gravy, add a little water to the meat pot and using your spoon “wash out” the remaining gravy into the soup base too so that you do not lose any of the lovely flavours from the gravy). 
-Next add the blitzed tomato.
-Add the juice of one lemon. ( Or less or more to taste)
-Add 1-3 green chillies whole washed and pierced. (Not necessary if you wish to keep it mild) 
-Salt to taste.
-Check the consistency of the soup that it is as thick/thin as you like, add water if you need to make it thinner. 
-Bring to the boil.
-Switch off and garnish with chopped coriander.
-Serve hot


Top tip:
Do not cover after garnish as you lose the lovely green colour.