Quick and Easy Pakistani Harissa Recipe to Please Your Family

Harissa is a popular Pakistani dish that mainly includes beef and lentils. I am going to share with you the most authentic Pakistani recipe of harissa, which will be a treat for your taste buds. For those who have not eaten Harissa before, it is quite like the keskek, a sort of homogeneous porridge made from stewed and boned beef and coarsely ground and soaked wheat and lentils. Harissa is quite popular in the holiday season and is also a part of Arab and Armenian cuisine. Some historians contribute Harissa’s origin in Kashmir others in Central Asia. Hence it has influenced the culture, traditions and food rituals of Pakistani people also. Harissa is a popular item on the menu of many Pakistani restaurants specially in the winters. Traditionally, the ingredients are slow-cooked for hours and stirred with a wooden spoon, until the mixture achieves the desired consistency. Some even add meatballs or small kebabs to the gravy, which gives the dish a unique taste. Being a food lover, I have also enjoyed the dish many times and cherish the savory experience when I taste this dish with friends and family. Harissa is a favorite dish of many Pakistani and non-Pakistani households. While the dish is high on calories, it is much better than junk food. It has no preservatives or artificial ingredients and is a rich source of proteins and good fats.

What Does Best Complement Pakistani Harissa?

You can serve Harissa with naan (Pita bread) on special occasions or at large gatherings and let your friends and family devour the dish. It reflects the hospitality and rich culture of ancient cuisines of the affluent families who like to indulge in food. You can also serve it with other types of traditional bread and roti. The dish can have complementary sides including roast lamb, mutton steamed rice, and other Pakistani cuisines, rich in taste and high on calories. Traditionally, Harissa is also a part of breakfast or brunch menu in parties and hotels. When served as a breakfast entrée, Harissa is served with pitta bread or roti. If followed by a cup of tea, Harissa can be a divine savory experience for anyone. Many restaurants serve Harissa along with rich desserts such as Makhni halwa. It is a dessert containing gram flour, semolina, sugar, and oil. It is traditional to use beef while cooking Harissa but you can also prepare with other meats of your choice such as lamb or chicken.

Pakistani Harissa Recipe

Serves: 6 to 8 | Prep Time: 20 min plus overnight soaking | Cook Time: 3 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb Boxed Halal boneless beef or lamb
• 1 cup whole wheat grains or cracked wheat (daliya), soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup white rice, soaked 1 hour
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup ghee
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Fried onions, ginger juliennes, lemon wedges and cilantro, to garnish

Instructions

1. Boil the meat with ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili, salt and 4 cups water until very tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Separately boil the soaked wheat and rice in 4 cups water until completely soft, about 1 hour.
3. Shred the meat and add it with its stock to the wheat. Mash with a wooden spoon (ghotna) or blend briefly until thick and stretchy.
4. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often and adding hot water if it gets too thick.
5. Fry the onion in the ghee until deep golden. Pour the ghee and onions over the harissa.
6. Sprinkle with garam masala and serve with fried onions, ginger, lemon, cilantro and naan.