Shuwa II is a traditional Omani recipe for a classic dish of spiced lamb served on a bed of saffron rice and acompanied with tomato salsa and cucumber yoghurt that's considered a national dish of Oman. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Oman version of: Shuwa II.
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Shuwa derives from the Arabic verb 'shawaa', which means 'to grill'. This dish is considered 'the cornerstone of Oman's culture' according to the Times of Oman, and the Oman Daily Observer says that shuwa is a "symbol of the country's togetherness".
Ingredients:
2kg leg of lamb, (preferably bone-in)
Pita bread
For the spice paste:
10 green cardamom pods
3 tbsp black peppercorns
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
¼ piece of nutmeg
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 loomi (Omani black lime)
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp ground turmeric
8 cloves garlic
1 to 2 green chilies (de-seed for a milder effect)
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp vinegar
75ml vegetable oil
Water, to dilute
For the tomato salsa:
3 tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1-2 chillies
1 lime
50ml olive oil
salt and freshly-ground black Pepper, to taste
For the cucumber yoghurt:
200ml yoghurt
1 cucumber
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp Aleppo or cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tbsp dried mint
Sea salt, to taste
saffron rice, to serve
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
pomegranate seeds, to garnish
Method:
Begin with the spice blend: first toast all the spices whole. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add the cardamom pods and peppercorns. Toast for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Now add the cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Continue to toast. Finally, add the cumin and coriander. Toast until the full flavours of all the spices are released. Be careful not to burn them.
Turn the toasted spices onto a plate and set aside to cool for a while before transferring them into a blender. Add the Omani lime (loomi), turmeric and chilli flakes and blend to a powder. You can store this Omani spice blend in a sealed jar and use it for other dishes.
Add the garlic, chilies, salt, vinegar and oil to the spice mix and blend to a smooth paste. Add a splash of water until you get the right consistency.
Coat the lamb with the spice paste and press it between the meat and the bone. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (over-night is even better).
When ready to cook, pre-heat your oven to 110°C.
The traditional method is to wrap the lamb with its spice coating in banana leaves before cooking. To do this, take the banana leaves and spread them open, overlapping them slightly on top of each other if they're small. Place the leg of lamb with the spice mixture on top and fold the leaves over. The meat should be completely wrapped. Tie the leaves together with kitchen string.
Place the meat with or without the banana leaves in a lidded roasting tin and cover with the lid. Place the bowl in the oven and let the meat roast gently for 5 to 6 hours. The slow cooking procedure allows the meat to develop a crust of spices. Beneath the crust is tender meat that falls right off the bone.
While the shuwa is cooking, prepare the tomato salsa. Cut a cross in the base of the tomato. Blanch and skin then remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Core the chillies and juice the lime. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, chillies, lime juice and oil in a blender and purée. Season to taste with salt and freshly-ground black pepper then chill in the refrigerator.
Peel, de-seed and dice the cucumber. Beat the yogurt and add the cucumber, spices and mint. Season to taste with salt. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Arrange the saffron rice on a large serving plate then set the parsley leaves in the centre of the rice. Sit the lamb shuwa on top of the parsley and scatter over the pomegranate seeds. Place the tomato sauce and yogurt in separate bowls and the pita bread in a basket.
You can also serve a fresh salad or roasted vegetables with the shuwa. Shuwa can also be made with chicken or mutton.
