Shorpa aadas and Marak bamia

From Mike Sula

[Says Mike: These two Iraqi soups were made by Khawla Shuhayib, who doesn’t use recipes. They were adapted with a a little help from the Iraqi Family Cookbook by Kat Karim. A shorpa, according to Khawla’s husband Najim, is typically a thin, water- or stock-based soup. In the Shuhayib’s home of Basra, this one is typically sold on the street and eaten for breakfast.]

Shorpa aadas (Red lentil soup)

 

2 cups red lentils, boiled until soft, drained

12 cups vegetable stock

vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 ½ teaspoon curry powder

1 ½ teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

salt to taste

Saute onions in vegetable oil until soft. Add curry powder and cumin.

Add lentils, cover with water and stir until smooth.  Simmer ten minutes. Add salt to taste.

Marak bamia (okra soup)

[Says Mike: “A marak, according to Najim, is typically thicker than a shorpa, often made with tomatoes, closer to a stew than a soup.”]

[Says I: “This was fantastic!”]

3 pounds lamb neckbones

2 package of frozen okra, thawed, cut into one inch pieces

12 oz. can tomato sauce

6 oz can tomato paste

half head of crushed garlic

vegetable oil

2 liters water

2 tsp salt

Boil lamb neckbones until tender. Drain, return to pot, add okra and sautte gently in oil for a few minutes, Add tomato sauce, paste, and water, bring up to heat stirring gently occasionally. Add garlic. Simmer ten minutes. Serve with rice.

Posted: Monday Feb 23,2009 06:02 PM In Soup Recipes