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Marak temani

Spiced beef and potato soup

Friday night in Rosh HaAyin, Tel Aviv's Kerem HaTeimanim and other Yemenite-Jewish neighbourhoods often means a big pot of marak temani, a yellow broth of beef on the bone with potatoes, onion and carrot, coloured and perfumed by hawaij, the Yemenite blend of turmeric, cumin, black pepper and cardamom. It is eaten piping hot with fiery zhug stirred in at the table and soft bread or jachnun-style pastry for dipping. The meat is cooked long enough to fall from the bone but the broth stays clear and light. The most common mistake is boiling it hard, which clouds the soup; keep it at a lazy simmer and skim early. Chef's tip: add the potatoes only for the last 40 minutes so they hold their shape.

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