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Sudanese shorba (lamb and peanut Ramadan soup)
Shorba: a lamb and vegetable broth thickened with peanut butter, the first spoonful of the Ramadan meal
Every evening during Ramadan, Khartoum tables are set with dates, juices and a big pot of shorba, a lamb broth full of carrots, potato and onion made creamy with peanut butter and sharpened with lime. It is the first thing many families eat after the dates, warm and gentle on an empty stomach, and it is made in quantity to share with neighbours. The soup is savoury, nutty and lightly spiced, thick enough to coat a spoon. Adding peanut butter straight into the pot is a mistake, as it clumps; whisk it smooth with hot broth first. Chef's tip: skim the broth carefully in the first 10 minutes for a clean taste, and finish with lime just before serving.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb lamb neck or shoulderon the bone, cut into pieces
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 cardamom podslightly crushed
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 potatodiced
- 1 tomatograted
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butterunsweetened
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 limejuiced, plus wedges
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ⅓ lb lamb neck or shoulder and 8 ¼ cups water in a large pot and bring slowly to the boil. Skim off the foam for 10 minutes until the surface is clear.
10 minStep 2: Add the 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 cardamom pods and 1 cinnamon stick, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the lamb is tender.
45 minStep 3: Lift out the lamb, pull the meat from the bones in small pieces and return it to the pot; discard the bones, cinnamon and cardamom pods.
Step 5: Whisk the 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter with a ladle of hot broth in a bowl until smooth, then stir into the soup with the 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened.
5 minStep 6: Stir in the 1 lime juice, scatter with ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve hot with lime wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sudanese shorba (lamb and peanut Ramadan soup) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 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 onion?
- 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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