Frik soup (Algerian chorba)

Frik soup or as Algerian people call it chorba or chorba frik. Basically, the main ingredient is wheat and of course with some veggies and meat. Stay tuned to know exactly how to make this delicious recipe.

This dish is very famous in the Maghreb, especially in Algeria. They cook it much at weddings and occasions.

What is chorba frik?

Let's start with the meaning of frik. Frik is an Arabic word that means milled wheat but not milled too much. When you milled the wheat don't make it like the flour the actual size of one grain from the frik is about 1 millimeter.

Chorba frik or frik soup is a compilation of frik with some vegetables like potato and carrots, etc... Actually, there are many types of it. Also, you can add meat or chicken to it but you have to cook the meat with chorba not add it later. We will cover all the types later.

How do you make frik?

You can take the easy way and buy the frik from the supermarket and use it like normal. However, if you want to make the whole process and make it by yourself follow these steps.

First, if you have a farm or a way to get spikes you have to dry them. Otherwise, you can buy wheat directly.

Second, After you dry the spikes. clean them from their peels.

Third, After peeling the spikes. wash the wheat well then let it dry well. Usually, the process takes days.

Fourth, grind the wheat not too much like the flour but medium. The size is about 1 millimeter for each grain.

Is frik soup healthy?

The answer is yes. Most of chorba frik or frik soup ingredients are natural so it's healthy but not 100% bacause you know some spices and oil etc...

What spices go well with chorba frik soup?

When you came to chorba frik soup spices are all the same. we will mention some famous spices that make our dish gorgeous.

Ras el Hanout: it’s basically a compilation of cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, ginger, cayenne pepper, nutmeg all in one pot. It's very popular in Algeria.
red ground pepper: also this can't Algerian people get rid of it.
ِCumin: It's optional, however, it makes the soup more tasty. But be careful, don't add it from the beginning, it will make chorba bitter.
Cinnamon: This is also optional but it's better if you add it.

How do you make frik soup (chorba frik)?

Ingredients

Frik
Tomato
Potato
Carrot
Zucchini
Garlic
Onion
Tomato paste
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Red ground pepper
Cinnamon
green pepper
Lemon
Parsley
Ras Hanout

Directions

First, let's prepare the ingredients. Mince 2 onion heads. Peel 2 two tomatoes and blend them in the mixture.
Second, bring a pot, and add olive oil. Cut 1 zucchini, 2 carrots, and 1 potato to pieces and not too small. Add them to the pot to fry a little. Stir for 5 minutes then add about 2 liters of water to the pot.
Third, in a pressure cooker, on low heat, add olive oil and then the minced onion. Stir well for a couple of minutes until the onion becomes brown. Add the mixture of tomato, Two tablespoons tomato paste, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon Ras Hanout, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 tablespoon red ground pepper. Stir for 3 minutes.
Next, Add 1 liter of boiling water and increase the heat a little. Stir for 3 minutes. Add 2 liters of boiling water again. Cover the cooker and let it cook for 40 minutes.
Now, let's prepare the frik. When you buy frik from stores you have to wash it well before using it. After washing add 2 cups of it to the cooker. Let it cook for 15 minutes.
After that, take out the veggies carrot, zucchini, and potato from the pot and put them in the mixture. Add 6 garlic cloves to them then blend them well.
Next, add 1 green pepper to the cooker. Add the mixed veggie as well. It's better to add veggies slowly with stirring. After that, let it cook for 7 minutes.
Finally, add 3 circles of lemon and 2 tablespoons parsley then turn the heat off. Let it rest for 10 minutes. With this our chorba frik soup is ready. Cheers!!!