About the Recipe
Tharid (or Thareed) is a traditional dish from the Arabian Peninsula, with deep historical and cultural significance in Islamic tradition, as it was reportedly a favorite of the Prophet Muhammad. It consists of a rich, spiced meat stew (typically lamb or chicken) called mareth that is poured over a layer of dry, thin flatbread (such as regag, samoon, or tamees) in a serving dish, soaking and softening the bread. It originated as a Bedouin meal, utilizing durable, portable bread. It is served as a complete main dish, especially during the month of Ramadan and for festive occasions.
Ingredients
4 ½ pounds/2 kilograms boneless lamb shoulder or leg, or neck fillets
2 ounces/60 grams beef caul fat (ask your butcher for this), chopped
2 ½ quarts water
2 large heirloom or vine-ripe tomatoes
4 inches/10 cm fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 black dried limes, pierced in a few places
2 bay leaves
2 chiles de árbol
2 tablespoons B’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture; see recipe below)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon whole cloves
18 petite finger-size carrots, trimmed and peeled
18 baby Yukon gold potatoes
18 baby zucchini
8 regag breads (or 2 to 3 handkerchief breads; see note above), toasted until crisp but not brownedte
Preparation
Step 1
Place the meat, caul fat and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain off the broth and pour the same amount of clean water over the meat. This will ensure you have a clean-tasting broth.
Step 2
Combine the tomatoes, fresh ginger, garlic and onion in a food processor and process until completely puréed. Add the tomato purée to the lamb along with the tomato paste, dried limes, bay leaves, chiles and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 10 more minutes.
Step 3
Break up 2 sheets of regag or 1 sheet of toasted handkerchief bread in a shallow serving dish. Pour enough lamb broth over the bread to let it become soft but not soupy. Spread another layer of broken bread and add more broth. Make another layer, softening the bread with broth until you have a fairly thick layer of moistened bread, about 2 inches/5 cm deep. Arrange the meat and vegetables over the bread and serve immediately.