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Hilib geel (Somali fried camel meat)
Hilib geel: tender camel meat cubes fried with onion, garlic and xawaash, prized in Somaliland
Camels are wealth in Somaliland, and their meat, lean and slightly sweet with a deep red colour, is a favourite in Hargeisa restaurants, where hilib geel is served fried with onion, garlic and xawaash alongside rice or sabaayad, banana and lime. Camel is a hard-working muscle, so it is first simmered until tender and then fried quickly in a hot pan until browned and fragrant. Halal butchers serving East African communities often sell it; if you cannot find it, beef chuck is the closest substitute and cooks the same way. Skipping the simmer and frying the raw meat straight away is the usual mistake, and it leaves the cubes tough as boots. Chef's tip: keep the simmering liquid; a ladle of it in the pan at the end makes a little glossy sauce for the rice.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb camel meatboneless, cut into 3 cm cubes; or beef chuck
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp xawaash spice mixSomali blend of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric; ready-made or homemade
- 1 green peppercut into strips
- 1 tomatodiced
- 1 limecut into wedges
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ¾ lb camel meat, 3 ¼ cups water and half the 1 ¼ tsp salt in a pan. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer gently for 45–55 minutes until a cube is tender when pressed with a fork.
50 minStep 2: Drain, keeping 150 ml of the cooking liquid, and pat the meat dry.
Step 3: Heat the 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the meat in one layer and fry for 6–8 minutes, turning, until browned on all sides.
7 minStep 4: Add the 2 onions and fry 5 minutes until soft and golden, then the 5 cloves garlic, 2 tsp xawaash spice mix and 1 green pepper for 2 minutes.
7 minStep 5: Add the 1 tomato, the rest of the salt and the saved liquid and toss for 3 minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the meat.
3 minStep 6: Scatter with ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve with 1 lime, rice or flatbread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hilib geel (Somali fried camel meat) take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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