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The year 2024 arrived with a sudden cold wave that called for the warmest dishes one can conjure. As we bid adieu to this cold weather and look forward to the yellows of spring, we take advantage of the chilly evenings for the last of this season’s warm soups and pies.
A Fearless Olive version of the recipes and a personal favourite to brighten your dinner tables. Have a lovely week!
Moroccan Harira
The unofficial national soup of the country, it is easily available all over the region referred to as the Maghreb. Hearty with lentils, meat, vegetables and a silky, smooth texture.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp black pepper
1 heaped tsp turmeric
1 heaped tsp cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
About 1.5 kg of crushed fresh tomatoes. Add 3-4 tbsp canned tomato paste to give it a tangier, more authentic taste.
1 cup green lentils
1 cup red lentils
250g chickpeas soaked overnight
½ kg chopped beef/chicken (you may keep it meatless)
¼ cup long-grain rice
About half a cup olive oil and salt to your preferred taste
Method
Sautee the celery, carrots, and onions until glazed and softened. At this point add the garlic, and ginger and sauté for about 1-2 minutes until the kitchen is redolent with the smell of garlic. Add the masalas and cook for up to 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the meat.
Cook it for up to 5 minutes until the meat is nicely seared and loses its raw odours. Add the lentils and chickpeas and either cook it at pressure for about 12-15 whistles or cook it on low heat for up to 45 minutes.
Once nearly done, add the rice and cook it for around 15 minutes. The rice should be cooked at this point. Add in chopped coriander and mint leaves and serve this hot or with a sprinkling of chilli flakes to add more heat.
Bolivian Humintas
This South American/Andean dish has been prepared for centuries. It was mentioned in texts from Peru dating from the 1600s so it can be assumed to be a local staple. Today’s version is from Bolivia shared by a local many years back during one of the Fearless Olive’s escapades with cooks from around the world as part of the Cultural Cooks series.
Ingredients
4 large corns with husk
½ cup olive oil (you can alternate this with ¼ cup butter)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon of anise seeds, powdered
½ tsp of cinnamon powder
1 cup shredded cheese (use any white cheese, or queso fresco. I would suggest trying Dhaka Poneer if nothing else is available)
1 tbsp fresh ground chilli
Salt to taste
Method
Remove the husks from the corn and set aside for the filling. Now remove the cobs from the corn and grind them into a watery paste. In a bowl, mix this paste with the ingredients and allow them to be incorporated to form a consistency like a watery paste.
Now take the husk and fill them in with a tablespoon full of the mix and fold it like a packet (the largest and widest husk should go underneath and the smallest on top). Before closing the wrap, don’t forget to sprinkle some cheese on top then wrap it up and tear a long strand of the corn husk to make a string.
In a pot of boiling water, place the humintas and let them cook for up to 1 hour. You can alternately bake them in a preheated oven of 120℃ and cook them in a dish with about ½ inch water, for about 45 minutes. You can keep checking by opening the packets to see if the mixture is cooked. They form a moist cake which is sweet, savoury and spicy all together. Serve hot or even cold and can also be refrigerated.
By Reema Islam
Photo: Collected