DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Harraq Esbao
Also known as: حراق إصبعه, حرّاق إصبعو
Syrian lentil-and-pasta stew sharpened with pomegranate molasses and lemon, topped with caramelised onion and crisp pita.
About Harraq Esbao
Harraq Esbao is a Syrian lentil-and-pasta dish associated with Damascus and served at gatherings. This profile follows Im Ziad's complete family recipe, pairing brown or green lentils with broken fettuccine and the dish's layered fried toppings.
Pomegranate molasses and lemon juice give the lentils a pronounced sweet-sour edge. Caramelised onion adds sweetness, garlic and coriander bring fresh savoury aroma, and cumin supplies a quiet earthy warmth.
The base is thick and spoonable rather than brothy, with tender lentils and short pasta pieces bound together. Crisp pita squares and dark-golden onion sit on top, while optional pomegranate seeds add bright red colour and a juicy crunch.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Wheat (gluten).
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Harraq Esbao
Damascene Harraq Esbao with Lentils, Pasta and Fried Pita.
- Brown or green lentilsHearty legume base
- WaterStewing liquid
- Fettuccine noodlesBroken pasta starch and body
- GarlicSavoury aromatic
- OnionsCaramelised sweet topping and base
- Fresh corianderFresh herbal aroma and garnish
- Lebanese pita breadCrisp fried topping
- Olive oilOnion cooking medium
- Canola oilPita frying medium
- Ground cuminEarthy spice
- SaltSeasoning
- Pomegranate seedsOptional bright garnish · Optional
- Pomegranate molassesSweet-sour seasoning
- Lemon juiceFresh sour seasoning
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Brown or green lentils: . Source's brown-or-green lentil choice maps to the established brown-lentil route
- Water:
- Fettuccine noodles: . Named wheat pasta; exact commercial formula and any Egg remain unresolved
- Garlic:
- Onions:
- Fresh coriander:
- Lebanese pita bread: . Named wheat flatbread; exact commercial formula and additional allergens remain unresolved
- Olive oil:
- Canola oil:
- Ground cumin:
- Salt:
- Pomegranate seeds (optional): . The author explicitly describes the fresh seeds as optional
- Pomegranate molasses: . Full prepared-product formula is unprovided
- Lemon juice:
Origins & food traditions
Hadia Zebib records Im Ziad's complete Harraq Esbao family recipe and identifies it as a traditional Syrian lentil stew served at gatherings. The independent Syrian cuisine reference lists Harraa' esba'o as lentils with dough, corroborating its defining lentil-and-starch identity.
Countries
Cuisines & regions
- Syrian Cuisine
- Damascene Cuisine
- Syrian CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Damascene CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Lebanese CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.