Algeria – Chorba Frik

by Y Shomwi

Algeria is a country located in northern Africa, is bordered by the Western Sahara to the west, Mauritania to the south as well as Tunisia to the northeast. Algeria is dominated by Muslims, who has a longer religious fasting period called Ramadan. This is where our cuisine spot.

The cuisine is largely cooked with frik, an ancient cereal with green color that is found at most in the Arabic and the Mediterranean countries. Tomato soup being mixed with meat and frik, is then added with mint or coriander, to give the dish an oriental flavor.

We will prepare Chorba frik cuisine as follows below, give a good attention to the recipe.

Prepare these ingredients

• 1 kg of beef in bone
• 1 cup of chickpeas
• 1/4 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tomato
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta
• Cinnamon
• 1 onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• Garlic
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 bunch of Parsley
• 2 celery stalks with leaves
• Salt

Cooking

• Prepare the chickpeas, soak for a whole night, wash and clean, set aside on plate.
• Chop the onions and carrots, mince the garlic (2 pieces).
• Boil water of about six cups and set aside.
• Prepare meat.
• Put into a saucepan together with the olive oil and ghee for boiling process a over medium heat.
• Add in the saucepan the followings;
  • chickpeas
  • chopped onion
  • minced garlic
  • zucchini
  • salt
  • ginger powder
  • tomato
  • parsley
  • carrot
  • paprika
  • coriander
  • celery stalks
• Let them it cook for 8-11 minutes.
• Prepare tomato by soak it into warm water and peel it. Blend or purée it. Add in the saucepan.
• Add 5 cups of water into the mix, increase heat to high, lower it to medium once the mix starts to boil.
• Boil for 30 minutes. After the time remove parsley and celery stalk.
• Take out carrot and zucchini, blend them, pour back into the mix.
• Add orzo pasta, check for taste, add salt if needed. You may add pepper if you prefer at this stage. Boil for 10 minutes again.
• After time, our cuisine is ready, enjoy it with friends and family.

Chorba frik may be served with bread, however many likes to take it as it is.