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Harrak osbao
Harrak osbao ('burnt his finger'): Damascus lentils with pasta, tamarind, pomegranate and crisp onions
The name means 'he burnt his finger', and the Damascene story goes that it is so good people can't wait for it to cool. Brown lentils and fresh pasta are cooked together in a sour sauce of tamarind and pomegranate molasses, then topped with coriander, garlic, crisp fried onions and fried bread so every bite is soft, tangy and crunchy at once. It is a Lenten and summer favourite in Damascus, served at room temperature with flatbread. Common mistake: frying the croutons and onions too early; they go soft on top of the lentils, so add them just before serving. Chef's tip: use a mix of pomegranate molasses and tamarind for a rounder sourness than either alone.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the lentils
For the pasta
To finish
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Knead 5 ½ oz plain flour, ¼ cup water and ¼ tsp salt into a firm dough, cover and rest for 20 minutes. Roll thinly on a floured board and cut into 1.5 cm squares. Leave to dry on a floured tray.
25 minStep 2: Simmer 9 oz brown lentils in 5 cups water for 20–25 minutes until tender but whole.
25 minStep 3: Meanwhile, heat ¾ cup olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 2 onions, stirring, for 15–20 minutes until deep brown and crisp; lift onto paper. Fry 1 pitta bread in the same oil for 2–3 minutes until golden and lift out.
22 minStep 4: Drop two-thirds of the pasta squares into the lentils with 1 ½ tsp salt and simmer for 8 minutes until tender. Fry the rest of the pasta in the onion oil until crisp, 2–3 minutes.
8 minStep 5: Stir 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses and 1 ½ tsp ground cumin into the lentils and simmer 5 minutes until thick enough to hold a spoon trail.
5 minStep 6: In 3 tablespoons of the hot onion oil, fry 4 cloves garlic and half of ⅞ oz fresh coriander for 1 minute and stir into the lentils.
1 minStep 7: Spread on a platter and let it cool a little. Top with the crisp onions, fried bread, fried pasta, the rest of 0.6 oz fresh coriander and 2 ⅛ oz pomegranate seeds just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does harrak osbao take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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