Hearty Lamb Stew with Vegetables- Marqoq

This dish is popular in Kuwait and in fact, in all the Arab Gulf countries. Of Bedouin origin, it can be cooked, depending on personal likes and availability with different types of meat and various types of vegetables. Nourishing and full of flavor, it makes a great family meal. No need to worry if there are leftovers as the stew can be reheated and it will be as tasty as the first day it was prepared. This dish is easy to make, but does require some advance planning as the dumplings are made the night before. Though dried limes are traditional in this recipe, lemon juice can be substituted but it should be stirred in when the stew is done.

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 50 minutes

COOKING TIME: 2 hours and 10 minutes

STANDING TIME: 8 hours

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water, plus more if needed
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 lbs (1 kg) bone-in lamb shoulder steak or chop, or veal or baby beef shoulder steaks, cut into 3 to 4-in (7.5 to 10-cm) pieces
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 4 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes
• 2 large green or red bell peppers, deseeded and quartered
• 4 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon Arabian Gulf Spice Mix (Baharat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 2 dried limes, pricked in a few places, or 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the flour, butter, water and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a mixing bowl. Knead into a smooth dough, adding a little more water if necessary. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4-inch (6-mm) thick. Cut into 2 to 21/2-inch (5 to 6.25- cm) circles and sprinkle with a little flour. Cover with a tea towel and allow to stand overnight.
2. Place the meat in a medium saucepan with a lid and cover with water to about 2 inches (5 cm) above the meat. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the cooked onion and the garlic, the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and the rest of the ingredients, except the dough circles and lemon juice, if using, to the saucepan with the meat. Bring to a boil, adding extra water if necessary. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour or until the meat and the potatoes are well done. (When done, the meat can be pulled off the bone with a fork and the potato will easily breakup with a fork.)
5. Gently stir in the dough circles, adding more water if necessary, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the circles are cooked. Add the lemon juice, if using, gently stir and serve hot with Saudi-Style White Rice. If you’ve used dried limes, remove and discard them before serving.