Ingredients
Meat
- 700 gbeef, camel or goat, in small dice
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- black pepper
Aromatics
- 2onions, diced
- 1green pepper, diced
- 1red pepper, diced
- 4garlic cloves, chopped
- 3cm ginger, grated
- 1green chilli, chopped
To season
- 2 tablespoonsxawaash, Somali spice mix
- 1 teaspoonground turmeric
- 2 tablespoonstomato paste
- 3 tablespoonsoil or ghee
- juice of 1 lime
To finish
- a large handful of coriander, chopped
To serve
- bariis, Somali spiced rice
- anjero or chapati
- banana, on the side
- basbaas, chilli sauce
Directions
- Trim away any sinew and heavy fat. Cut the meat into cubes of about one centimetre. Firm the meat in the freezer for twenty minutes first. Dice the onions and peppers to match the meat. Everything in the pan should be a similar size.
- Chop the garlic, ginger and chilli finely. Seasoning the meat is done first. Put the diced meat into a bowl. Add the salt, pepper and half the xawaash. Add the turmeric and the grated ginger. Mix it thoroughly with your hands. Let it sit for fifteen minutes if you have time.
- Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Get it properly hot before the meat goes in. Add the meat in a single layer. Work in two batches if the pan is small. Let it sit without stirring for two minutes. Give it about five minutes in total. Take the meat out and set it aside. Add a little more oil to the same pan.
- Add the onions and fry them for five minutes. They should soften and start to colour. Add the garlic and the chilli. Cook them for one more minute. Add the tomato paste to the pan. Fry it for two minutes to cook out the raw taste.
- Add the diced peppers to the pan. Fry them for three minutes only. They should stay slightly crisp. Return the meat to the pan with its juices. Add the remaining xawaash to it. Toss everything together over a high heat. Cook it for three or four minutes more. Add a splash of water if it looks dry. The dish should be moist but not saucy.
- Taste it and adjust the salt again. Squeeze the lime juice over it off the heat. Stir in most of the chopped coriander. Serving it is always done hot.
- Spoon it over bariis or plain rice. Scatter the remaining coriander over the top. Serve a banana on the side of the plate. Put basbaas, the chilli sauce, on the table. It keeps two days refrigerated.
Technique
- Suqaar is defined by the cut of the meat rather than by any single seasoning, and household versions vary a great deal.
- It is one of the most common everyday dishes in Somali and Djiboutian home cooking.
Substitutions
- Chicken thigh diced the same way makes a quicker version.
- A ready-made xawaash blend from a Somali shop saves toasting and grinding.
Variations
- A vegetable suqaar made with diced potato and carrot is eaten during fasting.
- Some households add diced potato to the meat version.
- Suqaar rolled in anjero is a standard breakfast.
History
Meat cut into small cubes so it cooks fast over scarce fuel, a practical nomadic technique now standard in Somali kitchens.
Frequently asked questions
What is Suqaar?
Suqaar is a main from Djibouti: small-diced beef, camel or goat flash-fried with onion, pepper and xawaash. Meat cut into small cubes so it cooks fast over scarce fuel, a practical nomadic technique now standard in Somali kitchens.
How long does Suqaar take to make?
Suqaar takes 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Suqaar?
Yes, within limits. Chicken thigh diced the same way makes a quicker version. A ready-made xawaash blend from a Somali shop saves toasting and grinding.
What is the most important thing to get right in Suqaar?
Suqaar is defined by the cut of the meat rather than by any single seasoning, and household versions vary a great deal.
