marrakchia harira (without meat)

Ingredients for 8 people. Cooking time 1 hour:

* 3 litres (5 pts) of water * 1 glassful of dried, skinned kidney-beans

* 1 soupspoon fiji of khlii fat or a soupspoonful of oil * 150 g (5 oz) of flour

* 1/2 teaglassful of rice cooked separately in a little salt water

* 1 level teaspoonful of paprika (sweet pepper) * 1 pinch of crushed hot pepper-chilli - (optional)

* 1 small bunch of coriander (kasbour) * salt

Preparation: 

Wash the kidney-beans and put into a saucepan with the paprika, and the khlii fat or the oil. Add the water, cover and cook, When the kidney-beans are nearly cooked, mix the flour with a little water, pass through a sieve and add little by little to the stock, away from the heat, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. Bring to the boil and lower the heat. After about 10 minutes, add the rice, cooked separately in a little water, and the coriander which has been pounded with the requisite amount of sati for seasoning either in a mortar or an electric blender.

Bring to the boil, correct the seasoning and withdraw from the heat. This harira should be of the same consistency as the traditional harira. Sometimes the kidney-beans absorb a little more water than allowed for, in which case add a bit more.