Zab is the name given to a Somali dish of roast lamb or goat served over a bed of rice. The dish is usually served during weddings or community gatherings known as Zab or alla bari. Consequently many call the dish Zab.
When I came to Australia I cooked Zab almost every other week. This was a great way to bring together my husband’s extended family and for my children to get to know their family and learn about the Somali culture.
I cooked my first Zab when I was fifteen years of age for twenty people at my niece’s wanqal (a traditional Somali naming ceremony). This was a great achievement for me, and years later Zab has become my signature dish!
This is a slow cooking dish, but most of the work will be done for you by the oven so don’t be scared to try it. I guarantee you that the results will be worth it!
Serve the big chunks of tender meat on a bed of rice in a big dish for a Zab effect. There should be plenty to share for more than eight hungry people!
If you have leftovers wrap the lamb in baking paper and a layer of foil paper. Store in the fridge for up to three days. Sliced pieces of the meat make a great sandwich filler for the kids school lunch.
Ingredients
- 4kg of spring lamb (This is about half the lamb. Ask your butcher to cut it in big chunks)
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 5 black peppercorns, ground
- 1 large piece of fresh ginger crushed (this also tenderises the meat)
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- Salt to taste
- 1 large green and one red capsicum
- 2 large onions
- 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed
Instructions
- Marinate the meat in large dish with spices, garlic and ginger for two hours in the fridge or preferably overnight.
- Transfer to a big sauce pan – we have a special sauce pan for just this dish! Add all the other ingredients except for the vegetables and place on the stove. Make sure your lid is airtight. Cook for an hour on stove on low heat. It will brown and you might be worried the meat is burning during the first ten minutes, but don’t worry as this gives the meat a delicious smoky flavour. The meat will produce steam which will add to the meat’s juices.
- Transfer the dish to a hot oven and cook for a further two hours or until meat is tender.
- Chop the vegetables and add
- Uncover the pan and let the meat and vegetables cook for a further 30 minutes. Usually its own juices are enough and if dry add a little bit of water. By this time the meat should be falling off the bone.
INFO
Author : Abderazzaq Noor
Recipe by : Mariam