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Rashoof

Rashoof: southern Jordan's winter soup of lentils and cracked wheat in tangy yoghurt, topped with onions fried in ghee

In the stone villages around Karak and Tafileh, rashoof is what simmers on cold, wet evenings: brown lentils and coarse bulgur cooked soft, then enriched with jameed, the dried salted yoghurt that is also the soul of mansaf. The result is thick, sour and comforting, almost a porridge, finished with a heap of onions fried golden in samneh. Jameed is sold in hard balls or as a liquid in Middle Eastern shops; thick strained yoghurt with a little extra salt makes a fine stand-in. The classic mistake is letting the soup boil hard once the yoghurt goes in, which makes it split into grainy curds. Chef's tip: temper the yoghurt with a ladle of hot soup first and stir in one direction over a low heat; it stays silky.
Total time
65 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

For the soup

For the topping

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Fresh ingredients (3)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Put 7 oz brown lentils in a large pot with 6 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Skim off any foam, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but holding their shape.

    25 min
  2. Step 2: Stir in 3 ½ oz coarse bulgur and 1 tsp ground cumin and simmer gently, stirring now and then so it doesn't catch, until the bulgur is soft and the soup is thick.

    15 min
  3. Step 3: Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp ghee in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 2 onions, stirring often, until deep golden and crisp at the edges, then add 3 cloves garlic for the last minute.

    15 min
  4. Step 4: Whisk 14 oz liquid jameed or thick strained yoghurt in a bowl with a ladle of the hot soup until smooth. Lower the heat under the pot to its lowest setting and stir the yoghurt mixture in, always in one direction. Heat until steaming but not bubbling. Common mistake: boiling it now, which splits the yoghurt.

    5 min
  5. Step 5: Taste and add ½ tsp salt only if needed. Ladle into bowls and pile the onions and their buttery fat on top. Eat with bread and raw onion or radishes.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
420 kcal
Protein
22 g
Carbs
56 g
Fat
13 g
Fibre
11 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does rashoof take?
About 65 minutes in total: 15 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 vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of liquid jameed or thick strained yoghurt?
Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
What can I use instead of ground cumin?
Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.

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