Lamb chobra
A chorba is a North African stew flavoured with ras-el-hanout, which is a mixture of whatever spices are popular in the particular area of Algeria or Tunisia that the dish comes from. I was introduced to it by an Algerian fisherman while we were filming the TV series. I added some harissa to mine for a bit of extra oomph.
A chorba is a North African stew flavoured with ras-el-hanout, which is a mixture of whatever spices are popular in the particular area of Algeria or Tunisia that the dish comes from
SERVES 4-5
1 tbsp olive oil
675g lean, boneless lamb shoulder (or mix of leg and shoulder), cut into 2.5cm cubes
1 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp ras-el-hanout
½ tsp ground ginger
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
90g orzo pasta
handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
salt and black pepper
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the diced lamb, a batch at a time, and brown it all over; don’t overcrowd the pan. Add the red onion and garlic to cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the tomato and harissa pastes. Put the browned lamb back in the pan.
- Pour in 1.5 litres of water and bring to a simmer. Add the ras-el-hanout, ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and the chickpeas, then cover the pan and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Add the orzo pasta with half the chopped coriander and cook for another 10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve garnished with the remaining coriander.