Chorba frik a traditional soup consumed mostly in Algeria and other countries like Tunisia and Libya It is a rich and colourful cuisine, which is mostly prepared with lamb or any available beef.
The meal was brought to Algeria by Turkish invaders in the sixteenth century. In the Ottoman army, soup was particularly important in the Janissary Corps where the çorbaci which means “soup man” was a military rank equivalent to colonel.
The Algerian soup is mostly prepared during the holy month of Ramadan. It is usually prepared with lamb meat or beef or a mix of lamb and beef. One of the most impor ingredients in this soup is ‘frik’, which is a cracked green wheat that makes this soup healthy and flavourful. Below is an authentic way of preparing Chorba frik;
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of tinned chickpeas (soaked overnight)
- 1 big onion (chopped)
- 200g lamb or beef cubed
- 1 bunch of coriander (chopped)
- 400g tinned pureed tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of dried pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
- 1/8 cup of crushed green wheat (frik)
- lemon wedges to serve
- 1 teaspoon of salt to taste
Steps in preparing chorba frik
- Wash and boil your lamb or beef. Then set aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep pot, then sauté the onion and the meat on medium heat.
- Add the chopped coriander, the chickpeas, salt, pepper, cinnamon and ground coriander, then mix well. Leave to simmer 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the pan.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and boiled beef or lamb, and bring back to a boil.
- On the side, rinse the Frik (green wheat) in a strainer then add it to the soup.
- Bring the soup back to a boil, and let it simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Then add 3-4 cups of water, lower the heat and let the soup simmer, covered, around 1 hour.
- The soup is ready when it has thickened
Best served hot with lemon wedges.
