kerouiya harira (caraway)

Ingredients for 8 people :

* Preparation and cooking time 1 hour * 3 littlres (5 pts) of water

* 2 soupspoon lu/s of cleaned and pounded caraway seeds * 150 g (5 oz) of flour

* 1 bunch of mint (6 or 7 sprigs) * 1/2 teaglassful of lemon juice

* 3 or 4 grains of gum-acacia (meska) pounded with the caraway seeds * salt.

Preparation:

Put the water on to boil, mix the flour with water, strain through a fine sieve and pour into the hot (not boiling) water, stirring briskly. Let it boil while stirring gently. Stalk the mint leaves, pound hard in a mortar (mehraz) with enough salt for the seasoning, dilute with a little water and pour into the pot. Add the caraway seeds and the gum-acacia, soaked in water.

Bring to the boil, stirring gently. Should there be any lumps, pass through a fine sieve, away from the heat. Before serving, re-heat and add the lemon juice. This harira must be rich and creamy. It is used to accompany steamed sheeps heads.