Fahsa Saltah
Also called saltah is a delicious stew from Yemen. It is based on a hearty broth called maraq (or mereg) usually made with lamb or mutton. Another key ingredient is the hulba, a froth made from fenugreek and water.
It is said to originate in the city of Sana'a a millenia ago, but the original Salta must have been very different from the recipe we know today, as there was no tomatoes or potatoes in Yemen back then.
I recommend doing this recipe in the span of two days or taking the evening off to do it. The end result is worth every second, but it will take you a good 4 to 6 hours to get everything together.
Ingredients
Hulba
- 2 tbs. powdered fenugreek
- 1 cup of water
Maraq (lamb soup)
- 1 kg lamb
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbs. Hawaij spice mix
- 1 ½ lt water
- ½ lemon, squeezed
Hawaij (spice mix)
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Saltah
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 750gr pulled lamb meat, pre-cooked
- 4 cups Maraq (or beef broth)
- 1 green malagueta, chopped
- 1 large potato, cubed
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbs. sahawiq akhdar (green sahawiq)
Sahawiq Akhdar (green sahawiq)
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 4 tbs. water
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 green malagueta chili pepper, chopped
Instructions
Start by making the Hulba, mix the fenugreek and the water in a bowl and set it in the fridge, it will take 3 to 4 hours for it to turn into a jelly consistency, when that happens get it out and whisk it until it froths and turns pale.
Now lets get the Maraq started. Put the onions and garlic in a large pot and add the hawaij, before it starts to brown add the tomatoes, the lamb and the water. Once it boils set the fire to medium, cover it firmly and come back every 30 minutes to stir and add water if necessary. In about 2 hours your broth should be a dense and greasy brown color. Turn it off and take out the lamb and put in on a plate to separate the bones and fat from the meat. Add the lemon juice to the remaining broth.
The Saltah: When you have your lamb stock and the meat pulled you can start the main dish. Add the onions and garlic and lamb meat to your stew pot, the meat should be greasy enough to cook the onions without burning them. Add the hawaij and stir until the meat has browned and is sticking to the pot. Add the broth, the tomato, potatoes, the green chili, and the bell pepper and cover, reducing the heat to low.
Now start the sahawiq akhdar; put all the ingredients in a bowl or mortar and crush it / blend it until its nice and pasty.
When the potatoes in the saltah are ready take some chunks and crush them with a fork, then add them back to make the stew a bit thicker. Next add the beaten egg and stir it in.
You can now get the hulba out and whisk it enthusiastically, the whiter the better.
Serve the saltah in a deep plate, add a dollop of hulba on top, then on top of the hulba add the sahawiq akhdar. Put some flatbread next to your stew for the real Yemeni experience.
This stew will feed 4 hungry stew lovers.