Iraqi Head and Trotter Soup (Pacha)
Pacha is a venerable Baghdadi dish cooked with lamb head and trotters, slow-boiled for hours with an aromatic bundle of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon until the meat separates from the bone.
It is served as a tharid over bread in the early morning, and it is a symbol of the generosity of the Iraqi table.
Wash the lamb head and trotters well and boil them in plenty of water for several minutes, then discard the first boiling water because it removes the gaminess and the clinging impurities.
Return the meat to the pot with clean water and add the whole onions, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, as the aromatic bundle perfumes the broth and mellows its smell.
Add the crushed garlic, black pepper, meat spices, curry, and salt, and stir the mixture so the flavor distributes through the broth.
Cover the pot and leave it over low heat for about four hours until the meat separates from the bone and turns tender, as slow cooking is the foundation of the pacha's doneness.
Lift out the head and trotters and separate the meat from the bones, return the meat to the strained broth, and re-adjust the salt.
Soak pieces of Arabic bread in the hot broth in the serving bowls, then pour the meat and broth over them, and serve the pacha as a hot tharid with lemon and green onion.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Iraqi Head and Trotter Soup (Pacha), and how to fix them:
Usually because of incomplete cleaning or skipping the first boil, so repeat the first boil, change the water, and increase the aromatic bundle.
Extend the cooking over low heat for an extra hour, as lamb heads and trotters need a long time to become tender.
Lower the heat so it does not boil vigorously and skim off the floating foam as it forms, as a gentle boil keeps it clear.
Keep the broth and meat separate from the bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and soak the bread as tharid only at serving.
Freeze the broth and meat for up to two months, and thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat it to a boil before serving.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| lamb head | bone-in lamb meat | 800 g | An easier-to-prepare substitute for those who cannot find the head, with loss of the pacha's authentic texture |
| lamb trotters | beef trotters | 6 pieces | An available halal substitute that gives a similar gelatinous broth |
| mixed meat spices | a blend of cumin and coriander | 3 g | A homemade substitute when the ready blend is absent |
| Arabic bread | tannour bread or samoon | 300 g | A practical substitute for the tharid depending on what is available |
| Ingredient | 2 servings | 4 servings (base) | 8 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut lamb head | 2 pieces | 4 pieces | 8 pieces |
| Lamb trotters | 2 pieces | 6 pieces | 12 pieces |
| Peeled onion | 2 pieces | 6 pieces | 12 pieces |
| Crushed garlic | 10 g | 30 g | 60 g |
| Bay leaves | 3 leaves | 7 leaves | 14 leaves |
| Salt | 5 g | 15 g | 30 g |
| Arabic bread | 100 g | 300 g | 600 g |
| Water | 1350 ml | 4000 ml | 8000 ml |
Discarding the first boiling water is a step we do not skip, as it is the key to a clear broth without gaminess. And cooking over very low heat prevents the broth from turning cloudy.
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