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Skudahkharis
Djibouti's national dish of spiced lamb and tomato rice
Skudahkharis is the pride of Djibouti and is also cooked in Somali homes: lamb on the bone simmered with tomato, onion, garlic and a warm mix of cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, then rice cooked in the pot until it absorbs every drop. It is served for Eid and family gatherings, with banana and a hot green chilli sauce on the side, as is the custom. The mistake is stirring the rice once it is in, which breaks the grains and makes it sticky; stir once, then leave it covered. Chef's tip: soak basmati for 20 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly in the rich broth.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot and brown 2 ¼ lb lamb shoulder or neck on all sides for 8 minutes. Lift out.
8 minStep 2: Cook 2 onions in the same pot for 10 minutes until golden. Add 5 garlic cloves, ½ oz fresh ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, 4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves and stir for 1 minute.
11 minStep 3: Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and 3 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until thick. Return the lamb, add 5 cups water and 2 tsp salt, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the lamb is tender.
65 minStep 4: Measure the broth: you need about 700 ml. Add water or boil to reduce. Drain 16 oz basmati rice, stir it in once and bring back to a boil.
Step 5: Cover tightly and cook over a very low heat for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Rest for 5 minutes with the lid on.
25 minStep 6: Fluff gently, scatter with 3 tbsp chopped coriander and serve with 3 bananas on the side. Cool and chill leftovers within 1 hour and reheat until steaming hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does skudahkharis take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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