Thareed dishes are found in the medieval Arab culinary texts and commonly contain broken pieces of bread drenched in a rich broth or sauce with meat and vegetables. This Bedouin dish was cooked in the Arabian Peninsula long before Islam. According to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Thareed was considered a dish superior to other foods and, in fact, it is said that his great-grandfather, Hashim, was the first to make the dish.
SERVES: 6 to 8
PREP TIME: 40 minutes
COOKING TIME: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
- 1/2 jalapeño or other fresh finger-length green chili pepper of your choice, finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons Arabian Gulf Spice Mix (Baharat)
- 1/4 lemon, finely chopped
- 4 cups (1 liter) water
- 3 lbs (1.5 kg) boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 to 2-in (2.5 to 5-cm) pieces
- 1/2 lb (250 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-in (6-mm)-thick rounds
- 1/2 lb (250 g) zucchini, cut into large chunks
- 2 store-bought or homemade Pita Bread, toasted and broken into pieces
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and chili pepper. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown.
- Add the tomato, dissolved tomato paste, and coriander leaves. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, Arabian Gulf Spice Mix, and chopped lemon.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Add the lamb, cover, and cook for 1 hour over medium-low heat, stirring a few times and adding extra water if necessary.
- Add the carrot and zucchini, cover, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, stirring frequently and adding extra water if necessary.
- Cover the bottom of a large serving bowl with the bread.
- Pour the meat and vegetable mixture over the bread and serve.
