Rice Chorba
Salem Hello
There are many chorbas in Algeria, and each region has its own specific variations. There are several, depending on the main component of the chorba or Algerian soup in general.
Chorba is a soup based on green wheat called "el frik", barley called "dchicha" in Algeria, bird's tongue and "elmkatfa" vermicelli. The latter is a homemade vermicelli paste.
The women of yesteryear used to prepare their supplies long before the month of Ramadan arrived. They also clean the houses, and even do some painting and other work to welcome the blessed month in good conditions.
All these events and actions are also a sign of joy.
Ramadan chorba
In eastern Algeria, frik is the master of chorbas or frik jeris. Likewise, green wheat is cleaned, crushed and then sieved to keep it crushed for the chorba. The fine powder is reserved for use as a binding and flavouring element in many dishes, notably minced meat.
Today, it's rice that's in the spotlight, and this is my big sister's version. Not a fan of frik, she prefers to add cracked rice to her Ramadan chorba. It's also a treat when it's well done, bearing in mind that rice puffs up much more than wheat.
I opted for chicken breast, a choice made by my children who aren't keen on lamb. You can add or replace it with other meat or just a bone for taste.
Ingredients:
Sliced chicken breast fillets
1 onion
100 g garlic tomato sauce recipe to come
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 stalk celery leaves
1 half bunch coriander
2 bay leaves
1 handful chickpeas, soaked the day before or frozen
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp tabel and carwia (a blend of spices and caraway)
1/3 tsp chili powder
1 drizzle oil
2 tbsp crushed basmati or other rice (blend the rice but not the powder)
1 liter hot water
Preparation:
1- In a borma or fait tout, pour in the drizzle of oil, add the finely sliced onion and sauté.
2- Add the chicken breast pieces, salt and sauté. Then add the tomato sauce, concentrate, pepper and spices. Add the celery, bay leaves and chopped coriander.
3- Reduce the heat to very low and let everything brown, covered, without stopping to stir. Add the chickpeas, cover with hot water and cook over medium heat.
4- Once the meat is cooked, add the crushed rice, stirring constantly as it tends to stick to the bottom.
5- Once the chorba is ready, serve it hot with briks and other dishes, or just with kesra or matlouh or rakhsis, it's even better.
