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Mullah rob (Sudanese peanut and yoghurt stew)
Mullah rob: a tangy stew of slow-fried onion, peanut butter and soured yoghurt, scooped up with kisra
Rob is the Sudanese word for soured milk, and in Khartoum kitchens it goes into one of the simplest, most comforting stews of all: onions cooked down until sweet, peanut butter stirred in for body, and rob whisked through at the end to make a creamy, tangy, pale-gold sauce. It is everyday food, eaten at lunch with sheets of kisra or a mound of aseeda, and it costs very little to make. Without fermented milk to hand, pasteurised natural yoghurt thinned with water does the job well. Boiling the sauce once the yoghurt is in is the classic mistake, because it curdles into grainy flecks; keep it just below a simmer. Chef's tip: let the onions go properly soft and golden, about 15 minutes; they carry the flavour of the whole dish.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 onionsvery finely chopped or grated
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 4 oz smooth peanut butterunsweetened
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 14 oz plain yoghurtpasteurised, full fat, at room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Add the 3 onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of water if it catches, until very soft and golden.
15 minStep 2: Stir in the 3 cloves garlic and 1 tsp ground coriander and cook 1 minute.
Step 3: Whisk the 4 oz smooth peanut butter with the 1 ¼ cups hot water until smooth, pour into the pan and simmer gently for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until thick and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
7 minStep 4: Whisk the 14 oz plain yoghurt in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in two ladles of the hot sauce to warm it. Turn the heat to low and stir the yoghurt mixture into the pan.
2 minStep 5: Heat gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until hot and steaming but not bubbling. Season with the 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper and ½ tsp chilli flakes and serve with kisra or aseeda.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mullah rob (Sudanese peanut and yoghurt stew) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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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