Emirati Lamb Saloona
Lamb, potato and carrot simmered in tomato, Bezar and loomi broth.
Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 1 hr 55 min · Total: 2 hr 20 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 600 g raw bone-in lamb shoulder chunks
- medium tomatoes, chopped — 2
- 300 g potato, peeled and cubed
- whole dried black lime, pierced — 2
- 300 g carrot, peeled and cubed
- 900 ml fresh cooking water
- onions, chopped — 2
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1.5 tbsp Emirati Bezar spice blend
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp ghee
- additional boiling water, only if needed (optional) — Only to maintain liquid coverage during the long simmer.
Instructions
Prepare matched vegetable pieces
Keep lamb chilled while preparing potato and carrot in similar small cubes. Measure the initial water separately; conditional boiling top-ups are not another mandatory full water allowance. Keep raw lamb at or below 4°C until needed.
Sauté Base
Heat ghee in a deep pot. Sauté chopped onions, garlic, and ginger until golden. Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, Bezar, turmeric, salt, and pierced loomi. Toast spices for 1 minute. Start sautéing over medium heat; lower the heat for the later gentle simmer.
Simmer Lamb
Add unwashed raw lamb chunks; pour in designated water. Bring to a boil, skim gray foam, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours until lamb is tender and reaches a verified internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F).
Check lamb after one hour: 3600 seconds
Add Vegetables
Drop in potato and carrot cubes. Ensure they are covered by liquid (apply conditional boiling water top-ups to maintain coverage if broth drops). Cover and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Check tender vegetables: 1200 seconds
Verify lamb and vegetables
Keep raw lamb refrigerated at or below 4°C until needed; do not wash it. Avoid cross-contamination. Check several thick pieces away from bone to at least 71°C, the owner-chosen target, and check tenderness separately. Time alone is not proof.
Check vegetables and remove whole loomi
Check potato and carrot with a fork until tender throughout. Remove whole loomi before plating or warn diners not to bite into it. Simmer gently longer if vegetables are still firm; meat temperature alone does not prove vegetable tenderness.
Serve with an optional rice side
Serve the stew hot, with separately prepared white rice if desired. Rice is a separate accompaniment, not included in this ingredient allowance. Treat any rice-containing leftovers with the same prompt one-hour cooling and 24-hour chilled limit.
Cool rice and stew leftovers safely
Divide leftovers promptly into small shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at or below 4°C. Use within 24 hours. Do not wait for a whole deep pot or tray to reach room temperature.
Tips
- Selected ingredient amounts govern scaling; numbers in the method describe the base batch. Use more comparable pans or cooking batches for large yields, not one deeper pan or multiplied timers. Timers remind you to check readiness and do not certify it.
Common mistakes
- Do not treat a timer or surface colour as proof of cooked centres; inspect the stated texture and temperature where applicable.
Substitutions
- Keep the approved master ingredients and allocations; alternatives may need a different method or quantity. Optional garnishes may be omitted.
Storage
Divide leftovers promptly into small shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at or below 4°C. Use within 24 hours. Do not wait for a whole deep pot or tray to reach room temperature.
Reheating
If reheating, heat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout, including solid and bread centres. Stir or turn and thermometer-check several places. Discard reheated leftovers; reheating cannot repair improper storage.
About this recipe
Saloona is a household stew with variations across the Gulf. This version uses lamb, potato and carrot in a tomato base flavoured with Bezar and dried lime.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.