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Hilib ari (Somali slow-cooked goat with xawaash)
Hilib ari: goat on the bone simmered tender with garlic and xawaash, then fried until crisp-edged
Goat is the festive meat of Somaliland, slaughtered for weddings, Eid and the arrival of guests, and hilib ari, goat on the bone cooked until it falls away, is the centrepiece of those meals. The meat is first simmered slowly with onion, garlic and xawaash, then the liquid is boiled away and the pieces are fried in their own fat until browned and crisp at the edges, so you get both tenderness and crunch. It is piled on a big platter of spiced rice with banana, lime wedges and green chilli sauce. Rushing the first stage is the mistake to avoid: goat stays chewy unless it simmers gently until a knife slides through. Chef's tip: ask the butcher for shoulder or leg cut into 5 cm pieces on the bone; the bones give the meat flavour and the leftover broth makes a good maraq.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ lb goat shoulder or legon the bone, cut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 onions1 quartered, 1 sliced
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tbsp xawaash spice mixSomali blend of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric; ready-made or homemade
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 5 cups water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 green peppercut into strips
- 1 limecut into wedges
- 2 green chillies (optional)whole or sliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse the 3 ⅓ lb goat shoulder or leg and put it in a heavy pot with the quartered 1 onions, half the 6 cloves garlic, half the 1 tbsp xawaash spice mix, the 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 ½ tsp salt and 5 cups water. Bring to the boil and skim off the grey foam.
10 minStep 2: Cover and simmer gently over a low heat for 75–90 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the thickest piece and the meat starts to pull from the bone.
85 minStep 3: Lift out the meat. Keep the broth for rice or maraq.
Step 4: Heat the 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the goat and fry for 8–10 minutes, turning, until browned and crisp at the edges.
10 minStep 5: Add the sliced 1 onions, 1 green pepper, the rest of the garlic and xawaash and a ladle of the broth. Cook for 5 minutes, tossing, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is glossy.
5 minStep 6: Pile onto a platter with 1 lime wedges and 2 green chillies, with spiced rice and banana on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hilib ari (Somali slow-cooked goat with xawaash) take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 110 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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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