Lamb and Chickpea Chilli with Freekeh
This lamb and chickpea chilli combines the spices and a commonly used wheat grain (freekeh) in Algeria. Perfect served with couscous and flatbread for a fabulous weekday meal.
Timings
Prep Time
10 mins
Cooktime
1hr
Total time
1hr 10 mins
Servings
4
Lamb and Chickpea Chilli with Freekeh
This super wholesome lamb, chickpea and freekeh chilli was inspired by the Algerian soup/casserole, Chorba Frik. I believe that ‘chorba’ is Algerian for soup and Frik is the green wheat grain, freekeh. I could be completely wrong but that’s just what I reckon!
Now I’m not going to start making claims that this recipe is completely authentic. The original recipe – ‘chorba frik‘, like this one from 196flavours, is a more soup-like dish which contains lamb pieces.
Mine is very similar, however I chose to create more of a chilli-style recipe. It’s thicker, grainier but still just as good! The original recipe is very popular during the month of Ramandan.
I urge you to travel to a muslim country during Ramandan at least once in your life; the feasts you’ll come across will make your mouth water!
Why should I make this lamb chilli?
- An alternative to a Mexican chilli – try something new!
- Wonderful flavours from the spices and lamb cooking together… just so good.
- Full of fibre from the freekeh.
- Such a simple recipe! Throw it all in one pot!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g minced lamb
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped (I use lazy garlic for quickness)
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin of chickpeas
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ras el hanout
- 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bay leaf
- 400ml water
- 100g freekeh
What is ras el hanout?
Ras el hanout is a Middle Eastern spice consisting of black pepper, coriander, ginger, smoked paprika, all-spice, cardamon, mace, nutmeg, turmeric, cayenne, cloves and rose petals. It pairs perfectly with lamb!
I buy this Bart’s one.
Equipment needed
- Medium casserole pot
- A wooden spoon
- A chef’s knife for chopping
- Measuring spoon
- Chopping board
Freekeh is VERY nutritious
It’s the first time I’ve cooked with freekeh and I’m definitely going to again. It’s perfect for bulking up the recipe and contains plenty of nutrients.
So, what is freekeh you ask?
Well, freekeh is a green-coloured grain made from young durum wheat. It’s high in fibre, protein and contains calcium, potassium, iron and zinc. Great for those on a low-gi diet (nutrition info found on BBC Good Food).
Recipe Variations
Could I use minced beef or pork instead?
I think pork would be the better alternative but I don’t see any issue with using beef too. Let me know how it goes!
What other vegetables can I add in?
As this is a North African inspired recipe, I think courgette would go really well. It would soften up some of the drier textures in the chilli too.
The best alternative to freekeh?
If you want to make this a can’t find or don’t want to use freekeh, a good alternative would be quinoa or barley.
Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes you can however you would need to cook it slower and longer. I’d recommend doing it on a slow-cooker for 7 hours, just to be sure. Or cook them beforehand and then add.
Where can I buy freekeh?
I buy my freekeh online as I struggle to find it in supermarkets. The brand I buy is the Artisan Grains Wholegrain Freekeh. You can buy it online at Ocado but’s also available on Amazon.
Tips
This recipe works really well in the slow-cooker as it was previously posted as slow-cooker recipe before the website got updated. I’ve now updated it for cooking in an oven, however slow-cooking will produce lovely flavours. It’s a good idea if you want to use dried chickpeas.
Lamb and Chickpea Chilli with Freekeh
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g minced lamb
- 2 spring onions
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ras el hanout
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 400 g tin of chickpeas
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 bay leaf
- 400 ml water
- 100 g freekeh
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 200° /180 fan. Brown the lamb in the hot oil in a casserole pot.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the spices and combine.
- Add the spring onions a long with the tin of tomatoes and chickpeas, bay leaf, water, tomato puree and mint. Give it all a good stir. Leave to simmer for 5 mins.
- Place a lid on the casserole pot and cook in the oven for 50 minutes. Add the freekeh, stir and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve with rice or couscous.
Notes
Serving suggestions
Why not serve your Algerian chilli with some Algerian semolina flatbread known as Kesra. The pair are a match made in heaven.
More Algerian recipes
Algerian semolina bread
Lemon and poppy seed ghoriba biscuits.
See my How to Eat like an Algerian post for more in-depth information on how you would eat in Algeria.
