Saltah

Yemeni Saltah

Yemen's national dish: a bubbling meat-and-vegetable stew finished with a peppery fenugreek foam called hulba and the green relish sahawiq. Traditionally it is brought to the table still frothing in a stone pot set over coals.

Prep

25 min

Cook

75 min

Total

100 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) bone-in lamb shoulder or shank, cut into pieces, bone-in gives the broth depth; beef stew meat works too
• •1.5 L (6 cups) water
• •1 whole medium onion, quartered
• •2 g (½ tsp) whole black peppercorns
• •2 whole cardamom pods
• •1 whole small cinnamon stick
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, plus more to taste
• •30 g (¼ cup) dried fenugreek seeds (hilba/hulba), do not substitute with kasuri methi; the seeds are traditional
• •2 tbsp tomato paste
• •2 whole medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• •1 whole medium potato, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• •1 whole medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• •1 whole small carrot, sliced into coins
• •100 g (3½ oz) okra, tops trimmed, optional but traditional
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh cilantro, chopped
• •10 g (2 tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped
• •1 whole small green chili (such as Serrano or jalapeño), finely chopped
• •1 clove garlic, grated
• •5 ml (1 tsp) lemon juice
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil or ghee
• •200 g (7 oz) warm flatbread, to serve, malawah or pita

Steps

1. 1 Make the broth: combine the lamb, water, quartered onion, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon stick and 5 g salt in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, skimming off any grey foam, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes, until the lamb is tender and the broth is flavorful. Lift the meat out and set aside; strain the broth and keep it hot.
2. 2 While the broth simmers, prepare the hulba: place the fenugreek seeds in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain, then whisk vigorously with a fork or small whisk for 3-4 minutes, adding a tablespoon of the hot broth, until a pale, frothy foam forms on top. Set the foam aside.
3. 3 Make the sahawiq relish: pound or finely chop together the cilantro, parsley, green chili, garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to a coarse paste. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside.
4. 4 Build the stew: in a wide pot, sauté the chopped tomato and tomato paste in a splash of the strained broth for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Pour in the remaining hot broth and bring to a simmer.
5. 5 Add the potato, zucchini, carrot and okra. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Return the lamb pieces to the pot and warm through for 3-4 minutes; taste and adjust salt.
6. 6 Assemble saltah: ladle the stew into warmed bowls (or a flameproof clay/stone pot if you have one), mounding the meat and vegetables in the centre. Spoon the hulba foam generously over the top so it sits in frothy white clouds.
7. 7 Top with a generous spoonful of sahawiq so the green relish streaks through the foam. Serve immediately with warm flatbread for scooping. The stew should arrive at the table scalding hot; reheated saltah loses its characteristic bubbling character. Lamb is safe when it reaches an internal temperature of 80°C (175°F) and is fork-tender.