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Mullah kawal (Darfur fermented-leaf stew)
Mullah kawal: a pungent Darfur stew flavoured with kawal, fermented sorghum-field leaves, and dried meat
Kawal is one of Darfur's great pantry secrets: the leaves of a wild legume that grows among the sorghum are pounded, fermented in a buried pot for a couple of weeks and dried into dark little balls with a smell as strong as blue cheese. Crumbled into a stew of fried onion, dried meat and tomato and thickened with okra powder, it gives a deep, savoury, almost meaty flavour that people in Darfur and Kordofan crave, and the stew is eaten with aseeda or kisra. Kawal is very hard to find outside Sudan; fermented locust beans (dawadawa or iru) from West African shops are the closest substitute, or use mashed fermented black beans. Too much kawal is the beginner's mistake; start with a little and taste. Chef's tip: soak the kawal in warm water for 10 minutes and mash it before it goes in, so it dissolves evenly.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp kawalcrumbled; or 2 tbsp fermented locust beans (dawadawa), or 1 tbsp mashed fermented black beans
- ½ cup warm waterfor soaking the kawal
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 onionsfinely chopped
- 5 ½ oz sharmout (dried beef)pounded or finely chopped; or 400 g beef chuck, finely diced
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 ¼ cups hot water
- 2 tbsp dried okra powderweika; or 150 g fresh okra, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ¾ tsp saltless if the kawal or meat is salty
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak the 2 tbsp kawal in the ½ cup warm water for 10 minutes, then mash it to a loose paste.
10 minStep 2: Heat the 5 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat and fry the 3 onions for 15 minutes, stirring, until soft and deep golden.
15 minStep 3: Add the 5 ½ oz sharmout (dried beef) and 4 cloves garlic and fry 5 minutes, then stir in the 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. (If using fresh beef, fry it for 8 minutes until browned.)
7 minStep 4: Add the 3 ¼ cups hot water and the kawal paste, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 35 minutes, until the meat is soft and the flavours have blended. Fresh beef needs 45 minutes, until tender.
35 minStep 5: Sprinkle in the 2 tbsp dried okra powder a little at a time while whisking hard, so it does not form lumps. Simmer 5–8 minutes until the stew thickens and turns slightly glossy.
8 minStep 6: Season with the ½ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp chilli flakes and ¾ tsp salt, tasting as you go, and serve hot with aseeda or kisra.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mullah kawal (Darfur fermented-leaf stew) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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