Moroccan green pea dip

Sydney chef Hassan M’Souli shares his recipe for a traditional, Northern Moroccan dip using dried green peas and harissa. Serve warm with Moroccan flat bread or crusty bread.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500 g dried green peas, picked through and washed
• ¼ cup harissa (see Note)
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• salt
• warm flat bread or crusty bread, to serve

Standing time 15 minutes

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the peas and the cumin and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in 1 litre (4 cups) of water and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes until the mixture starts looking dry, then slowly add another 500 ml (2 cups) water and cook for a further 25 minutes until the peas are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

If you prefer a smooth dip, then puree the peas with a hand blender. Otherwise return the pan to a medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the peas split and soften. Add the harissa and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes until the peas are completely soft. Season with salt to taste. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Drizzle the warm dip with extra olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and serve with the bread.

Note
• Harissa is a spicy Moroccan chilli paste and can be found in Middle Eastern delis and some supermarkets.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.