سلتة

Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb cubes and sear in batches for four to five minutes until browned on all sides. Remove the meat and set it aside on a plate while you prepare the aromatic base.

In the same pot, sauté the diced onion until softened and translucent, about four minutes. Add the minced garlic, hawaij spice blend, and turmeric, stirring constantly for one minute until the spices are fragrant and have coated the onions evenly.

Return the browned lamb to the pot and add the chopped tomatoes, diced potatoes, and enough water to cover the ingredients by about three centimetres. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour until the lamb is tender.

While the stew simmers, drain the soaked fenugreek seeds thoroughly and place them in a deep bowl. Beat vigorously with an electric hand mixer or whisk for five to eight minutes until the seeds break down and transform into a light, airy, pale green foam.

Stir the zhug paste into the simmering stew during the last ten minutes of cooking, adjusting the amount to your preferred heat level. The stew should be thick and richly flavoured with the meat falling apart easily when pressed with a spoon.

Ladle the hot stew into individual stone serving pots or deep heatproof bowls. Spoon a generous mound of the whipped fenugreek foam on top of each portion, allowing it to sit like a crown over the bubbling stew without stirring it in.

Serve the saltah immediately while very hot, with warm flatbread on the side. Diners tear pieces of bread and use them to scoop through the fenugreek foam and into the rich lamb stew beneath, combining all layers in each bite.