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Qursan
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Qursan

Thin bread in vegetable stew

Qursan is old Najdi home cooking from the farms around Riyadh and Qassim: thin wholemeal breads are cooked on a griddle, dried, then torn into a spiced stew until they soften into silky, pasta-like sheets. It is a family dish for Fridays and winter evenings, eaten from one big tray. Traditionally the stew is built on lamb; this version is vegetarian, with pumpkin, courgette and carrot simmered in a tomato and dried-lime broth seasoned with Gulf spices. The bread should soak but not dissolve, so the classic mistake is adding it too early and stirring it to mush. Fold it in at the end and let it rest off the heat. Serve with daqqus and fresh herbs. Chef's tip: cook the breads until properly dry and crisp; soft breads turn gummy in the broth.

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