The month of Ramadan is upon us. The fast begins at sunrise and ends at sunset each day. It is broken with a little salt and then a small plate is usually served comprising some type of cooked chick peas/ channa, a bit of chopped fresh ginger, usually an Indian delicacy of some sort and a date, this is known as Iftar, and is usually consumed after the Magrib prayer.

This is followed by a balanced meal and a sweet afterwards, usually some type of ice-cream or dessert. Interestingly enough the foods with which the fast is broken in other eastern countries vary, but the regular appearances almost always include chickpeas and dates. In Morocco their variation on our foods is in the form a chickpea/ channa and lentil soup, (HARIRA) made in a tomato broth scented with cinnamon, turmeric, fresh cilantro/ chadon beni, accented with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the table.

Fresh rounds of crusty bread, hard boiled eggs, dates, and honeyed pastries are served with each bowl. If you are fasting, try to start your day with a nourishing meal, like a warm bowl of lentil soup, remember beans and legumes provide much needed carbs and proteins as well. Balance that off with a slice of wholegrain bread and have a small piece of fruit. Remember the month is rigorous on your body, and it is a physically cleansing fast as well. So try to be conscious of what you eat this month, treat your body to fresh wholesome foods.

HARIRA Moroccan chickpea soup

1 1/2 cups dried channa/chickpeas
8 cups water
1 28-oz tin of tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup chopped celery, rib, and leaves
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin/geera powder
1/2 cup chopped chadon beni
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
1 cup lentils
3/4 cup fine egg noodles or thin spaghetti. Or vermicelli
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
lemon wedges for the table.
salt to taste

Soak channa in water overnight drain and rinse, cook in eight cups water for about one to 1 1/2 hours until tender. Drain chickpeas and save the water it was cooked in. You should have 2 1/2 cups water if not add a little water.
Finely chop tomatoes.
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add onion and celery until softened and fragrant.
Add tumeric, pepper, cumin and cinnamon.
Cook for a few minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, 1/4 cup chadon beni,
Channa with the reserved liquid, broth and lentils.
Simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes to 60 minutes.
Break pasta into small pieces, about one inch and stir into soup.
Cook for a further ten minutes until pasta is tender.
Season with salt and sprinkle with remaining herbs.
Serve with wedges of lemon and crusty bread.
Serves six

Cook’s Corner

Q. My last set of eggs seem to be quite fragile in that the shells are very thin, why is this?
A. Thin egg shells are an indication that the laying hen is not getting enough calcium in its diet. If this is the case the farmer has to adjust the feed and add a calcium based supplement into the diet of his layers.
 
Q. How long will sorrel keep for when brewed?
A. Freshly brewed sorrel will keep for up to eight months in your refrigerator. Do not sweeten it and store it, properly strained in sterilised glass bottles.
 
Q. Whenever I make stir fried Chinese vegetables they usually are quite dry; what can I do to get nice moist and juicy vegetables?
A. Using a wok helps to create juicy, and firm stir fried veggies, heat the oil, add your ginger and garlic then your vegetables, cover your wok with the dome shaped wok cover, this will help your vegetables to steam cook, thereby releasing some liquid into the pot.
When your vegetables have reached the tender-crisp stage, you can add a mixture of oyster sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce mixed with a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce in the wok. Remove at once.

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