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Vegetable saloona
Saloona khudar: Emirati tomato and vegetable stew with bezar and dried lime
Saloona is the stew Emirati families make on an ordinary weekday, ladled over white rice for lunch in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and every town between. Each household has its own mix, but the base is always the same: tomatoes, onions and the local bezar spice blend, sharpened with dried lime and simmered with whatever vegetables are in the fridge. This meat-free pot uses potato, courgette, aubergine, carrot and okra with chickpeas for body, and it tastes even better the next day. Chef's tip: add the okra in the last 10 minutes and leave it whole; cut okra goes slimy in a long simmer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry 2 onion for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and golden. Stir in 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and 2 green chillies and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
9 minStep 2: Add 1 ½ tbsp bezar or baharat spice mix, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 2 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 1 minute until the paste darkens and smells sweet. Add 4 tomatoes and 2 dried limes (loomi) and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce with oil shining on top.
6 minStep 3: Add 2 potatoes, 2 carrots and 1 aubergine and stir to coat them in the sauce for 2 minutes. Pour in 3 ¼ cups water with 1 ½ tsp salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
17 minStep 4: Add 2 courgettes and 8 ½ oz cooked chickpeas and simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes until the potato is tender to the tip of a knife.
10 minStep 5: Lay 5 ½ oz okra on top, push it just under the liquid and simmer 8–10 minutes more, until the okra is bright green and tender. Common mistake: stirring hard once the okra is in breaks it open and thickens the stew to slime; just shake the pot.
10 minStep 6: Taste for salt and press the dried limes against the side to release a bit more sourness. The sauce should be thin enough to soak into rice. Scatter with 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with white rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable saloona take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 onion?
- 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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