Recipe Manuscript

شوربا

Name: شوربا
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 500g fatty lamb, cut into medium pieces; 100g fresh lamb tail fat (aliyah) or substitute with 2-3 tbsp ghee; 70g peeled chickpeas; 1.5 liters warm water (plus extra as needed); 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste); 2–3 thin sticks cinnamon (or cassia bark); 10g dried dill stems (or substitute 2 tbsp dried dill weed); 1 teaspoon ground dried cassia bark (or cinnamon); 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper; 150g short grain white rice, rinsed; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Additional: small lamb meatballs (optional, about 100g pounded lamb shaped into balls)

"Soup"

1200

From the treasured pages of Kitāb al-ṭabīkh

Written by Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Medieval (500 - 1400)Middle Eastern Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1200

Original Manuscript(circa Medieval, 500 - 1400)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

شوربا

"وصنعتها ان يقطع اللحم السمين اوساطاً. ثم تسلى الألية الطرية ويرمى بالحم عنها. ويطرح اللحم في الدهن ويحرك حتى يتورد. ثم يلقى عليه غمرة ماء فاتر ويسير من ملح وكف حمص مقشور واعواد دارصيني رقاق وطاقات شبت(١) يابس. فاذا نضج اللحم طرح عليه كسفرة يابسة وزنجبيل وفلفل مسحوقة ناعماً، ويزاد الماء الذي في القدر ماء آخر فاتراً. ويوقد تحته حتى يغلي حق غليانه. ثم ينحى الشبت عن القدر، ويؤخذ من الأرز المنقى المغسول دفعات، يطرح في القدر حسب الحاجة، وتترك على النار حتى ينضج الأرز. ثم تقطع النار من تحتها. ويذر على رأسها كمون ودارصيني مسحوقين ناعماً. وتمسح جوانبها بخرقة نظيفة. وتترك على النار ساعة ثم ترفع. ولا تترك حتى ينعقد الأرز شديداً. ومن اراد جعل فيها من اللحم المدقوق كبباً."

English Translation

"To make it, the fatty meat is cut into medium pieces. Then, the tender tail fat is fried and the meat is added to the fat and stirred until it turns rosy. Then, a generous amount of lukewarm water is poured in, along with a little salt, a handful of peeled chickpeas, thin sticks of cinnamon, and bundles of dried dill. When the meat is cooked, dried cassia, ginger, and finely ground pepper are added, and more lukewarm water is poured into the pot. Let it boil thoroughly. Then, remove the dill from the pot, and add batches of cleaned and washed rice to the pot as needed, and leave it on the fire until the rice is cooked. Then, turn off the heat. Sprinkle finely ground cumin and cinnamon on top. Wipe the sides of the pot with a clean cloth. Leave it on the fire for an hour longer, then remove it. Do not let the rice become too firm. Whoever wishes may add minced meat shaped into meatballs."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a concise, action-based style typical of medieval Arabic cookbooks, assuming the cook is already familiar with basic cooking methods and terminology. Quantities and times are often implicit, relying on visual cues and touch, reflecting a kitchen culture centered on experience rather than standardization. Spellings and names for ingredients could vary by region—'darṣīnī' refers to cassia bark or cinnamon, and 'kaf ḥimṣ' translates as a 'handful' of chickpeas, showing a reliance on intuitive, body-based measurement.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Kitāb al-ṭabīkh (1200)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ibn al-Karīm, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan

Era

1200

Publisher

Maṭbaʻat Umm al-Rabīʻayn

Background

Step back into the sumptuous kitchens of the medieval Islamic world with this early collection of culinary wisdom. Savor recipes, tips, and gastronomic secrets that once delighted the palates of princes and poets alike.

Kindly made available by

NYU/ American University of Beirut

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for 'Shurba' (soup) is drawn from the work of Ibn al-Karīm, an influential author of culinary literature in the early 13th century CE, from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul (al-Mawṣil). At the time, the cuisine of the medieval Islamic world was highly sophisticated, characterized by its fragrant broths, use of varied spices, and inventive techniques for rendering and flavoring meat. The Middle Eastern table of the era would have featured shurba as a noble and nourishing comfort—an iconic symbol of hospitality and an everyday staple alike, often enriched with local herbs and the prized tail fat from fat-tailed sheep.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The primary tools for this recipe would have been large copper or clay cooking pots, wooden stirring paddles, stone mortars and pestles for grinding spices, and knives for cutting meat. Tail fat would have been rendered slowly over a wood- or charcoal-fired hearth. Pots could have been moved off or onto the fire to control the temperature, and a woven cloth or scrap linen would be used for wiping condensation or stray grains from the pot's sides.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 lb fatty lamb, cut into medium pieces
3.5 oz fresh lamb tail fat (aliyah) or substitute with 2-3 tbsp ghee
2.5 oz peeled chickpeas
6 1/3 cups warm water (plus extra as needed)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2–3 thin sticks cinnamon (or cassia bark)
1/3 oz dried dill stems (or substitute 2 tbsp dried dill weed)
1 teaspoon ground dried cassia bark (or cinnamon)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
5 1/4 oz short grain white rice, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Additional: small lamb meatballs (optional, about 3.5 oz pounded lamb shaped into balls)

Instructions

Begin by cutting about 1 lb of fatty lamb into medium-sized chunks.
Render 3.5 oz of fresh lamb tail fat (aliya), removing any meat solids as they separate, creating rich melted fat.
Sauté the lamb pieces in the hot rendered fat until the meat takes on a rosy color.
Add around 6 1/3 cups of warm water to just cover the meat, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, 2.5 oz peeled chickpeas, 2-3 thin cinnamon sticks, and a small handful (about 1/3 oz) of dried dill stems (or use dried fresh dill if stems unavailable).
Simmer until the lamb is fully cooked and tender, then add 1 teaspoon each of ground cassia bark (or cinnamon), ground ginger, and finely ground black pepper.
Top up the pot with more warm water so the broth stays plentiful.
Bring back to a rolling boil for a few minutes, then remove and discard the dill.
Stir in washed white rice, about 5 1/4 oz, adding in small batches until the broth has a soupy but hearty consistency.
Continue cooking gently until the rice is tender but not mushy.
Remove from heat.
Before serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and more ground cinnamon on the surface, wipe the pot's sides with a clean cloth, then let it stand, covered and off the heat, for about an hour.
Don't let the rice form a solid mass.
Optionally, you may add small meatballs (kibbeh) made from pounded lamb.

Estimated Calories

650 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and around 2 hours to cook. Each serving has about 650 calories if you divide the whole pot into 6 servings. You get 6 good portions from this recipe.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.