We recently went to the wonderful hole-in-the-wall Yemeni resaturant (Bab-Al-Yemen) in Boston. I absolutely fell in love with this dish and I did some research and worked out this receipe and it turned out just as soothing.

Ingredients:

For Lamb Stew:

• Lamb (2 pounds; cut into large chunks)
• Onions (2 medium-sized; finely chopped)
• Tomatoes (2 medium-sized; diced)
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons)
• Nutmeg (grounded; 1 teaspoon)
• Cloves (grounded; 1 teapoon)
• Turmeric (grounded; 1/4 teaspoon)
• Cumin (grounded; 1 teaspoon)
• Black pepper (1 tablespoon)
• Beef stock (5 cups; boiled; you can use vegetable/chicken stock as well)
• Salt (to taste)

For Hilba:

• Ground Fenugreek (2 tablespoons)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Parsley
• Green Chili (2-3; roughly chopped)
• Mint Leaves (a handful)
• Lemon Juice (half a lemon)
• Salt (to taste)

For Sahauiq:

• Tomatoes (2 medium-sized; quartered)
• Garlic (1 clove)
• Green chilli (1)
• Salt (to taste)

For Serving:

• Green Onions (2-3 springs; sliced)

Directions:

In a smalll bowl, soak the ground fenugreek for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the excess water from the fenugreek. Using a whisk, beat the soaked fenugreek till it turns creamy. Add the lemon juice and salt and keep whisking. You can even use a handblender to do this step.

In a blender, add the parsley, garlic, green chilies and mint leaves along with a couple of tablespoons of water and blend it to a paste.

Mix the paste into the fenugreek and whisk it all together and set it aside to serve.

For Sahauiq, add all the ingredients into a blender along with a couple of tablespoons of water and blend it to a paste.

In a large pot, add some oil and once hot add the chopped onions and let it cook till they turn translucent.

Add the meat into the pot and then brown it on all sides. Once the lamb is browned, add the ground spices (turmeric, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and cumin), mix it all well and cook for 30 seconds till the raw smell of the spices fo away.

Add the tomoto paste and stir it all together and cook for another couple of minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Add the stock and cover the pot and cook on low heat for 2 hours till the meat is cooked all the way through.

Scoop out the meat pieces and shred them using a fork or with a wooden spoon.

Traditional, this dish is served in a hot stone pot. You can use a small stone/clay/cast-iron pot put it on a burner and heat it. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped green onions and cook it for 30 seconds.

Add the shreded meat and give it a stir. Scoop out 2 ladles of the stew and pour it over the meat. Add 2 tablespoons of the hilba and 1 tablespoon of sahauiq.

You can serve this with pita bread/naan.