Serves: 6 - 8
INGREDIENTS:
5 onions
90 g (3 oz. 1/3 cup) ghee or clarified butter
50 g (2 oz. 1/3 cup) flour
½ tsp. ground turmeric
60 g (2 oz. ½ cup) finely chopped walnuts, or 130 g (4 oz./ 2 cups)
chopped spinach, or 360 g (12 ½ oz. / 2 cups) diced potatoes
125 ml (4 fl oz./ ½ cup) lime or lemon juice
95 g (3 ½ oz. / ½ cup) lightly packed brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 quantity Nano Dok *
2 – 6 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the onions in half from top to bottom, then slice each half into semi-circles.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of the ghee in a heavy – based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add about 80 g (3 oz. / ½ c of the onion slices and fry until brown and crisp. Remove and set aside for garnishing.
3. Heat the remaining ghee in the pan and gently fry the remaining onion until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook until golden.
4. Add the turmeric, and your choice of walnuts, spinach, or potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Stir in 1.25 liters (42 fl. oz/5 cups) water and cook until thickened and bubbly stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the lime or lemon juice and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the Nano Dok and stir into the soup.
7. Lightly beat two eggs and slowly pour them into the soup. Stirring gently until the eggs set in shreds. Alternatively, break six eggs into the simmering soup, one at a time, and simmer gently until the eggs have set.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls; if using whole eggs, add one to each bowl. Garnish with the reserved browned onions and serve with flat bread.
*to prepare Nano Dok: Heat 1 – 3 tbsp ghee in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 tsp ground turmeric and cook for a few seconds, until the turmeric turns golden brown. Crush 1 ½ tsp dried mint and add to the pan, stir and immediately remove from the heat.
Recipe from The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook, by Tess Mallos
