Mullah Waika

Ingredients

• 500g lamb shoulder or beef chuck
• 2 onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tomatoes
• 40g waika, ground dried okra powder
• 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp ground fenugreek
• 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 green chilli
• 1 litre water

Before you cook

• Cut the meat into 2cm cubes
• Peel and finely chop the onions
• Peel and crush the garlic
• Grate the tomatoes on the coarse side of a box grater and discard the skins
• Slit the green chilli lengthways
• Sift the waika powder into a bowl to break up any clumps

Steps

1. Heat the sesame oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
2. Add the cubed meat in a single layer and brown it hard for 5 minutes.
3. Add the chopped onions and cook for 8 minutes until they soften and take on colour.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the cumin, ground coriander, fenugreek, cardamom and black pepper and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Stir in the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red.
7. Add the grated tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens and the oil separates.
8. Pour in the water and add the slit chilli.
9. Bring the pot to the boil, then turn it down and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the meat is tender.
10. Whisk the peanut butter with a ladleful of the hot broth in a small bowl until smooth.
11. Stir the loosened peanut butter back into the pot.
12. Take a pinch of waika between your fingertips and sprinkle it across the surface of the simmering stew while stirring constantly.
13. Carry on adding the waika a pinch at a time over about 3 minutes, never stopping the stirring, so it disperses without a single lump forming.
14. Simmer the mullah for 10 minutes more until it is glossy and pulls into strands off the spoon.
15. Season with the salt and serve hot with kisra or asida.