Harak Osbao

Ingredients

• 250g brown or green lentils
• 150g small square or flat pasta
• 3 large onions
• 120ml olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• 40g fresh coriander
• 4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 3/4 tsp fine salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 pita breads
• Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

Before you cook

• Rinse the lentils and pick out any stones
• Slice two of the onions into thin half moons and chop the third finely
• Chop the fresh coriander, stems and all
• Crush the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt
• Tear the pita breads into 3cm pieces

Steps

1. Put the lentils into a large pot with 1.2 litres of water and bring them to a boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
3. Warm 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions.
4. Fry the onions for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they collapse and turn deep mahogany brown at the edges.
5. Lift half the fried onions out onto kitchen paper to keep as a garnish.
6. Fry the torn pita in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat for 4 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden, then drain them on paper.
7. Stir the chopped onion and the remaining fried onions into the simmering lentils.
8. Add the pasta and 300ml more boiling water to the lentil pot and cook for 10 minutes, until the pasta is just tender.
9. Heat the last of the olive oil in the small pan, add the garlic paste and cook for 20 seconds.
10. Throw in the chopped fresh coriander, ground coriander and cumin, and fry for 1 minute more, until the pan smells intensely green.
11. Scrape the coriander garlic mixture into the lentils and stir it through.
12. Add the pomegranate molasses, salt and lemon juice, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick enough to hold the trail of a spoon.
13. Taste and adjust the sourness with more pomegranate molasses or lemon.
14. Spoon the harak osbao into a wide dish and let it settle for 5 minutes.
15. Top with the reserved fried onions, the crisp pita and the pomegranate seeds, and serve warm rather than hot.