Monday, April 30, 2012

41. Habeet: Iraqi Stewed Lamb


Habeet is a hearty stewed lamb dish served with Arab flatbread and on a bed of rice. The ingredients and method are simple enough, keeping in mind that many minor variations exist in different parts of Iraq.
Noomi basra, or dried limes (aka black lime), are essential to the recipe. This is a classical sampler to the rich cuisine heritage of Iraq.




Ingredients:

3 Tbsp oil
1.5 kg lamb meat on bone
3 onions, cut into wings
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 noomi basra
2 bay leaves
2 maggi cubes
2 heaped tsp mixed Arabic spice
1 heaped tsp Madras curry
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lemons, juice









Method:

On medium high heat, saute the onions and the noomi basra in the oil until the onions have begun to wilt but are yet uncolored.
Add the stock cubes, tomato wedges, bay leaves, spice mix, madras powder, chili powder, and black pepper; stir.
Add the meat pieces, add boiling water until covered by 2 centimeters.
Bring to boil, lower temperature to a simmer, cover.
Cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Add the lemon juice and salt.
Simmer covered another half hour.
Serve on a bed of rice, with the sauce on the side.



 صحة و عافية

14 comments:

Zia said...

Yum yum! Looks ammmmazing!!

Maryam said...

Thanks, it's a favorite to family and guests alike!

Unknown said...

Making this today for iftar! Looks amazing can't wait!

Maryam said...

صيام مقبول ان شاء الله
I hope it worked out well!
هني و عافية

Unknown said...

It was fantastic. Even my picky 6 year old wanted more! Thanks for a great recipe.
رمضان كريم

Maryam said...

Masha Allah that's fantastic!
الله اكرم اختي

Rhode Mathe said...

Hello Maryam, thank you for this beautiful blog and your recipes. This is the third dish I made since I accidentally found your blog a week ago and everything has turned out perfectly. I made this Habeet stew using the juice of half a lemon because I thought two might be overkill and I still thought it was too much. Is the Noomi basra sour too? Followed the recipe almost to the letter and it seemed a little sour to me. Thank you.

Maryam said...

Hello Rhode, thank you for your comment.
The noomi does impart a tartness in addition to the fresh lemon juice. Me and my family like habeet with a tangible sour edge, but please feel free to remove the lemon completely and even reduce the amount of noomi in the recipe to your taste.

Unknown said...

Maryam, thank you again for all you do to keep this cooking blog going. I believe it is the absolute best on the Internet and very user friendly. I have now made the Habeet stew a number of times and it is now a family favorite. I've also made a number of the other recipes with great success. Thank you again, I am a faithful fan!

Maryam said...

You're welcome Rhode! And thank you for your kind words, it's a great boost to hear because sometimes I question the time, effort, and resources I spend on the blog.
I think it's great you tried and liked this recipe because it's definitely a recurring one on our family table.

Anonymous said...

Great food! Great recipes! My adorable man of middle eastern descent is amazed by what this "white bread" girl from the Americas prepares for him. Following your recipes mostly to the letter to tremendous success. Shukran :)

Maryam said...

That's so sweet I laughed out loud! Afwan! Thanks for your comment it made me happy.

Emma said...

I've been cooking from your website for months now and feel awful that I've not yet thanked you for your amazing recipes. Super simple yet full of flavour. You've made me a very popular lady in my household! May God bless you.

Maryam said...

May God bless you too Emma. Thanks for the comment, they always make me so happy!