Harra'a Be Esba’o (Lentil Stew)
Harra’a Be Esba’o is a beloved, hearty Levantine dish originating from Damascus, Syria. It’s a nourishing meal perfect for cooler weather, yet so versatile that it’s just as delicious served cold during the summer months.
Harra’a Be Esba’o, which means “Burn Your Finger” in English, gets its name from an old story about a woman stirring a large pot in her kitchen. When her husband asked what she was cooking, she accidentally dipped her finger into the hot stew and burned herself, exclaiming, “I burned my finger!” — and so the dish was named.
Ingredients 15
For The Stew
250 g tamarind, soaked in 1 litre water, strained and sieved
1 kg brown onion, thinly sliced (2 mm)
2 1⁄2 cups olive oil, plus extra for frying
350 g green lentils, rinsed and soaked
350 g brown lentils, rinsed, soaked
600 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
100 g garlic, crushed with a little salt
250 ml lemon juice
pomegranate molasses, to taste
salt, to taste
water, as needed
For The Dough
600 g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1⁄2 cups water, room temperature
1 tbsp light oil, plus extra for resting dough
oil, for deep frying
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Method 16
Soak the in 1 litre of water until softened. Strain and sieve the liquid. Discard any seeds and pulp.
In a small deep pot, add the and half of the sliced , and cook slowly for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown and caramelised. Transfer to a sieve to drain all excess oil. Add the remaining oil to the while cooking.
Rinse both together in cold water and soak until cooking time.
In a large pot, add 1/2 cup of and the other half of the sliced raw , and fry until golden brown.
Add half of the and half of the . Stir for 2 minutes.
Drain the , reserving the soaking water. Add the washed lentils to the pot and stir for about two minutes, until they start to sizzle. Then pour the reserved water back into the pot.
Bring to a boil. Add more water if needed — the water should be about 1 inch above the . Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered.
Make The Dough
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the dough. Mix the , , and in a bowl, then add the and a little . Knead into a firm dough, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Use 350 g of the ready dough to make noodles. Roll out into a 2 mm-thick sheet.
Cut into 1 cm x 3 cm strips or your desired shape.
Check the ; when they are nearly cooked, add the dough strips to the simmering stew and cook for 5–10 minutes.
Add the tamarind liquid, , and pomegranate molasses to the pot. Adjust with salt if needed.
To Make The Crispy Fried Squares
Roll out the rest of the remaining dough, cut into 1 cm squares. Deep fry the dough squares in hot oil until golden and crisp. Set aside for garnish.
To Make The Coriander Sauce
Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil into a small saucepan, add the rest of the , wait for a minute, then add the rest of the , and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until just fragrant.
Pour half into the stew and stir through.
To Serve
Ladle some of the stew into each bowl and top with some of the , crispy fried dough squares, and caramelised onions.
Racha Syrian Kitchen's tips
To speed the process, you can use sunflower oil for frying onions. Heat the oil first, then fry the onions until golden brown. Transfer to a sieve to drain all excess oil.
Taste after each sour addition—balance is key in this dish.
To save time, you can substitute the dough with risoni or any pasta shape of your choice. Top with Lebanese fried bread as a garnish.
