Chorba frik - meat and chickpea soup

Other

Rinse the freekeh/frik in cold water and remove any dark pieces that look like they may not be grains. Drain and set aside.

Finely chop the onion and chop the lamb into small bite-sized chunks. Halve the tomatoes and grate the inside over a bowl/dish so that you collect all of the pulp. Discard the skin and any tough core. Chop the cilantro/coriander relatively finely.

Warm the oil in a medium pot/saucepan over a medium heat then add the onion. Cook for a few minutes to soften the onion then add the lamb and gently brown all over.

Add the dry spices (paprika, coriander, cinnamon, mint, salt, pepper and dry mint) and mix through. Cook for a minute then add the cilantro, tomato paste and grated tomato. Mix through then add the water. If using uncooked, soaked chickpeas, add them at this point.

Cover and bring the pot to a simmer then reduce the heat to keep at a simmer rather than boiling. Cook for around 45 minutes to an hour until the lamb is tender.

Add the freekeh/frik and chickpeas, if using canned (pre-cooked). Cover and cook for another 15 minutes until the freekeh is just tender.

Serve topped with a little extra chopped cilantro/coriander.