Sefina – Moroccan Shabbat Lamb Stew

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   In advanceSoak the chickpeas overnight in cold water, and drain.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveLarge pot
3. 3
   Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 5
   Add the meat and fry, until browned on all sides.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
2. 6
   Add the wheat and chickpeas to the pot, and place the eggs around the meat. The eggs go in whole, in their shells.
3. 7
   Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, paprika, salt and black pepper and pour in the water until it covers everything.
4. 8
   Bring to a boil.

   Stove
5. 9
   Turn down' to the lowest heat', cover and simmer 6–8 hours, until the eggs brown.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡Toward the end of cooking, check the water in the pot; if it's low, add only boiling water, so the hamin doesn't cool down in the middle of cooking.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
6. 10
   Serve the hamin hot, straight from the pot.