These past few days, it has been raining quite hard. We love watching heavy downpours when we are staying at home, curled up in a blanket, and having no need to go outside. These heavy rains coincide with the Gu which is the main rainy season (April to June) in Somalia. Back there, we used to love sitting in the veranda, watching and listening to the rain.
Weather like this calls for comfort food and what comfort food is better than Anjero with a nice, aromatic, and deeply flavourful lamb stew. OK, there are some of you out there who have not had lamb or do not like the strong flavour of lamb. Rest assured. This is one lamb dish you really want to try. The aromatic spices, herbs, and the earthy flavour of the root vegetables temper some of the taste of the lamb. Still not convinced? In that case, substitute the lamb with chicken or beef, or make it vegetarian, and you will still end up with a stew that will make your taste buds and tummy really thankful.
This dish is about adding the different ingredients each at its right time. The lamb should be soft and tender, and the vegetables should retain their shape. The potatoes should not be cut into large cubes, since potatoes take longer to soften in acidic liquids like tomato sauces.
As some of you have noticed, we use more oil when cooking stews. The oil is important as it will “fry” the stew and give it a nice, caramelly taste. When the stew is ready, the oil separates and floats at the top, making it very easy to remove. Adding enough oil also helps in preventing the stew from sticking to the pot and burning. That is the rationale for the extra oil we use when cooking stews or tomato sauces in general.
Then it was time to sit down and do what Somalis have been doing for a very long time: scooping the stew on top of Anjero. Wait, do not sit down yet. Turn on some Qaraami music, a Somali musical style played with Kaban (Oud). The word Qaraami comes from the Arabic word غرامي which means romantic. What is most important to know though, is that Qaraami goes really well with maraq (stews).
Apart from Anjero, this stew can also be served with Soor (grits), plain rice, Sabaayad (chapati), or a nice, crusty bread. Somalis would also eat this with pasta and it would make an amazing sauce instead of regular pasta sauce.
Ingredients:
(Tbsp is a tablespoon; tsp is a teaspoon)
(1 cup = 237 mL = 2.4 dl; 1 Tbsp = 15 mL; 1 tsp = 5 mL); all are level measurements
- ⅓ cup (79 mL) Canola oil – Or vegetable oil
- 1 Large Onion (sliced)
- 3 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Fenugreek seeds (ground)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Xawaash
- 1 tsp (5 mL) Turmeric powder
- 1½ lb (680 g) Lamb – Or goat meat
- 4 Large (800 g) Tomatoes (blended)
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) Tomato paste
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Salt (to taste)
- 2 Medium (350 g) Potato (cubed)
- 2 Medium (230 g) Carrot(s) (sliced)
- 1 Green pepper (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Green chilli sauce – Or to taste
- ½ cup (80 g) Cilantro (chopped) – UK: coriander
- ½ tsp (2.5 mL) Ground black pepper
Directions:
- In a pan set on medium heat, saute the onions in the oil for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for one minute then add the ginger and mix well.
- Add the fenugreek, xawaash and turmeric. Mix well after each addition.
- Add the meat right after, so the spices don’t burn. Brown for 3 minutes.
- Add the blended tomatoes and mix.
- Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add the green pepper and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Add the chili sauce and cilantro. Stir well.
- Add the black pepper and stir. Serve hot with anjero.
Mukawinaadka:
(QW waa qaaddo weyn – midda cuntada lagu cuno; qy waa qaaddo yar)
(1 koob = 237 mL = 2.4 dl; 1 QW = 15 mL; 1 qy = 5 mL)
- ⅓ koob (79 mL) Saliid caddeey
- 1 Basal , Weyn (jarjaran)
- 3 Tuun (toon) (shiidan)
- 1 qy (5 mL) Sanjabiil cusboon (la xoqay)
- 2 qy (10 mL) Xulbad (shiidan)
- 1 QW (15 mL) Xawaash
- 1 qy (5 mL) Huruud shiidan
- 1½ baawun (680 g) Hilib idaad (ari)
- 4 (800 g) Yaanyo , Weyn (shiidan)
- 3 QW (45 mL) Yaanyo shiishiid
- 2 qy (10 mL) Cusbo (inta dooqaaga ah)
- 2 (350 g) Bataato / baradho , Dhexdhexaad ()
- 2 (230 g) Karooto (dabacase) , Dhexdhexaad (jarjaran)
- 1 Barbarooni cagaaran (jarjaran)
- 1 QW (15 mL) Basbaas cagaar shiidan
- ½ koob (80 g) Kabsaro caleen (jarjaran)
- ½ qy (2.5 mL) Filfil madoow shiidan
Diyaarinta:
- Digsi dab dhexdhexaad ah saaran saliidda ku shub. Basasha dallac muddo 3 daqiiqo. Ku dar tuunta (toonta), hal daqiiqana shiil. Sanjabiisha ku dar, si fiicanna u walaaq.
- Ku dar xulbadda, xawaashka iyo huruudda. Walaaq mid walba markaad ku dartid.
- Hilibka ku dar, walaaqna ilaa uu ka gaduuto, muddo 3 daqiiqo.
- Yaanyada ku dar ee si fiican u walaaq.
- Yaanyo shiishiidka ku dar, kaddibna walaaq. Dabool ha karo muddo 30 daqiiqo.
- Bataatada iyo karootada ku dar. Dabool ha karo muddo 20 daqiiqo.
- Barbarooniga ku dar, 10 daqiiqo oo kalena kari.
- Basbaaska iyo kabsara caleenta ku dar.
- Filfisha madoow ku dar, si fiicanna u walaaq. Maraqa kulul canjeero ama soor ku cun.
المقادير
كوب = 237 مل، ملعقة كبيرة = 15 مل، ملعقة صغيرة = 5 مل
| زيت الكانولا | كوب | ⅓ |
| (بصل( مقطع شرائح | 1 | |
| (فص ثوم( مفروم | 3 | |
| (زنجبيل طازج( مبشور | ملعقة صغيرة | 1 |
| (حبوب الحلبة( مطحون | ملعقة صغيرة | 2 |
| حوائج | ملعقة كبيرة | 1 |
| مسحوق الكركم (الهرد) | ملعقة صغيرة | 1 |
| خروف/ | جم | 680 |
| (طماطم( مضروبة في الخلاط | جم | 800 |
| معجون طماطم | ملعقة كبيرة | 3 |
| (ملح( حسب الرغبة | ملعقة صغيرة | 2 |
| (بطاطا( مكعبة | جم | 350 |
| (جزر( مقطع شرائح | جم | 230 |
| فلفل اخضر/ فلفل رومي | 1 | |
| البسباس الاخضر | ملعقة كبيرة | 1 |
| كزبرة | جم | 80 |
| فلفل اسود مطحون | ملعقة صغيرة | ½ |
طريقة التحضير:
| فى قدر على نار متوسطة يحمر البصل فى الزيت لمدة 3 دقائق، يضاف الثوم ويحمر لمدة دقيقة واحدة، ثم يضاف الزنجبيل ويحرك جيدا | -1 |
| تضاف الحلبة، الحوائج (بهارات مشكلة) ومسحوق الكركم (الهرد) ويحرك جيدا | -2 |
| يضاف اللحم، يحرك ويحمر لمدة 3 دقائق | -3 |
| تضاف الطماطم ويحرك جيدا | -4 |
| يضاف معجون الطماطم ويحرك المرق جيدا ثم يغطى ويطهى لمدة 30 دقيقة | -5 |
| يضاف البطاطس والجزر، يغطى المرق ويطهى لمدة 20 دقيقة اخرى | -6 |
| يضاف الفلفل الاخضر، يغطى ويطهى لمدة 10 دقائق | -7 |
| يضاف صوص البسباس والكزبرة | -8 |
| يضاف الفلفل الاسود ويحرك جيدا، يقدم المرق ساخنا | -9 |
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