Cookies Preferences
I remember the first time I ate Horra Osbao. It was at a graduation party in Amman for a distant cousin with an elaborate dinner buffet full of delicacies. I'd spooned some of just about everything onto my plate and with my first bite of the lentils I almost accosted my relatives asking what in the world this deliciousness was and why hadn't I eaten it sooner?!?!
Loosely translated Horra Osbao means "burnt fingers," they laughed as they explained the dish to me. There was someone as greedy as me, unable to wait for it to cool - scooping it up with bread too quickly. Although that culinary urban legend doesn't entirely make sense as really, this dish is at its best eaten at room temperature. Somehow the flavors are much more pronounced like that.
Lentils are the star, and that's something that you rarely hear, but they are truly special infused with spices and herbs and pomegranate molasses. But what makes it stratospheric is the addition of fried dough, fried onions, fried cilantro, and pomegranate seeds at the end. Controversially, I'm sure, I could do without the dough bits that are cooked into the lentil mixture (maybe I'm doing something wrong), and if you omit the fiddly dough part of the recipe you can make your life easier by crisping up some small pieces of Arabic bread tossed with olive oil and toasted in the oven in place of the fried dough. However, you may not omit the fried onions or pomegranate seeds! They are a glorious and gluttonous must.
2 cups brown or green lentils
7 cups water
1 cup olive oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
For the dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
To finish it:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves
vegetable oil for frying
pomegranate seeds to garnish
Rinse the lentils in a colander, drain, and place in a medium saucepan with the water. Boil on medium heat for half an hour until they lentils are softened. Meanwhile, fry the chopped onion in the olive oil until translucent and golden brown. At the last minute add the garlic, a pinch of salt and the cilantro. Stir for a minute to incorporate the flavors and then add the cumin, paprika, sumac, and sugar. Remove from the heat.
Add the onion spice mixture, with the oil, to the cooked lentils along with the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses. It should taste very lemony and sweet. Allow the lentils to simmer on the stove for another half an hour until most (but not all) of the liquid is evaporated.
While the lentils are cooking make the dough by kneading together all of the ingredients for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Let it rest in an oiled bowl with a tea towel covering it for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into small little diamonds about ½ inch long. Take half of the diamonds you’ve made and place them into the boiling lentils for 10 minutes. Allow the lentils to cool to room temperature before serving.
For the remaining dough diamonds, fry them in hot oil until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Allow to drain on paper towels. Now fry the onions in the same oil, and finally the cilantro (watch out it will spit like mad).
To serve, place the cooled lentils in a bowl, top with the fried dough diamonds, onions, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds.
