Tharid — Bread Soaked in Lamb and Chickpea Broth
At the bottom of a wide dish, stale barley bread is crumbled; it is then bathed in a fragrant broth of lamb, chickpeas, and chard, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of saffron. The bread soaks and becomes tender: one eats in a circle, from the same dish.
At the bottom of a wide dish, stale barley bread is crumbled; it is then bathed in a fragrant broth of lamb, chickpeas, and chard, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of saffron. The bread soaks and becomes tender: one eats in a circle, from the same dish.
On days of gathering, I opened my sufra to my brothers and we shared tharid. I had the bread broken at the bottom of the large dish, then poured over it the mutton broth in which chickpeas and herbs had simmered, with a hint of saffron for the joy of the eye. Eat from the edge in front of you, I told my guests, and not from the middle — for the shared table is a school of courtesy. And keep measure: even at a feast, the wise man leaves a third of his stomach empty.
- •Stale barley bread — several flatbreads (absorbent base)
- •Mutton shoulder — a good piece (meat, broth)
- •Chickpeas — a handful, soaked (legume)
- •Chard or spinach — one bunch (greens)
- •Onion — two (base)
- •Cinnamon, saffron, coriander — to taste (aromatics)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Tharid — Bread Soaked in Lamb and Chickpea Broth
At the bottom of a wide dish, stale barley bread is crumbled; it is then bathed in a fragrant broth of lamb, chickpeas, and chard, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of saffron. The bread soaks and becomes tender: one eats in a circle, from the same dish.
Why this dish? Tharid — broken bread soaked in a broth of meat and vegetables — was the quintessential communal dish, celebrated in prophetic tradition and served on days of gathering and feast. Al-Ghazali, a honored professor at the Nizamiyya of Baghdad before his retreat, was many times a guest and host of such tables where the large dish was shared by hand.
On days of gathering, I opened my sufra to my brothers and we shared tharid. I had the bread broken at the bottom of the large dish, then poured over it the mutton broth in which chickpeas and herbs had simmered, with a hint of saffron for the joy of the eye. Eat from the edge in front of you, I told my guests, and not from the middle — for the shared table is a school of courtesy. And keep measure: even at a feast, the wise man leaves a third of his stomach empty.
Ingredients (period version)
- Stale barley bread — several flatbreads (absorbent base)
- Mutton shoulder — a good piece (meat, broth)
- Chickpeas — a handful, soaked (legume)
- Chard or spinach — one bunch (greens)
- Onion — two (base)
- Cinnamon, saffron, coriander — to taste (aromatics)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Stale barley bread or whole wheat bread — 4 thick slices (base)
- Lamb shoulder, cut into pieces — 600 g (meat, broth)
- Chickpeas, soaked overnight — 150 g (legume)
- Chard or spinach — 300 g (greens)
- Onions — 2 (base)
- Cinnamon stick — 1 (warm spice)
- Saffron — 1 pinch (color and aroma)
- Ground coriander — 1 tsp (flavor)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Sauté the sliced onions in a little fat in a pot.
- Add the lamb, brown it, cover with water, and add the chickpeas, cinnamon, and coriander.
- Simmer covered for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat falls apart and the chickpeas are tender.
- Add the chopped chard and saffron, season with salt, and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Arrange the broken bread at the bottom of a large serving dish.
- Pour the hot broth over it to soak thoroughly, place the meat and vegetables on top, and serve at the center of the table.
How it was made : Tharid is among the oldest and most prized dishes of the medieval Arab-Muslim world, mentioned from the earliest days of Islam. The cookbooks of Baghdad (such as al-Baghdadi's *Kitab al-tabikh*, 13th century) detail many variations. Stale bread found a noble use: nothing was wasted.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in individual bowls, with bread as a bed, shredded meat in the center, a drizzle of saffron oil, and a few roasted chickpeas for crunch.
Al-Ghazali · Charactorium
