Fah-Fah

About This Recipe

Fah-Fah is a beloved Djiboutian goat stew-soup often described as the national comfort food. Bone-in goat meat is simmered for hours in a broth spiced with xawaash (a Djiboutian spice blend of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric) until the meat falls from the bone. Potatoes and peppers are added towards the end. It is eaten with flatbread and is a staple at roadside restaurants in Djibouti City.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gbone-in goat meat, cut into large pieces
• 2 mediumpotatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 largeonion, diced
• 1 tspground cumin
• ½ tspground cardamom
• ½ tspground turmeric

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook goat

   Place goat in a large pot with onion. Cover with 2 litres water, bring to a boil, skim foam, then add cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and salt. Simmer covered on low heat for 75 minutes until meat is very tender.

2. 2

   Add potatoes

   Add potato cubes to the broth and cook 15 minutes more until soft.

3. 3

   Adjust and serve

   Taste broth and adjust seasoning. Serve in deep bowls with plenty of broth, meat, and potatoes.

4. 4

   Accompany with bread

   Serve with lahoh pancakes or toasted flatbread for dipping into the rich broth.

Variations

• •

  Add diced tomato and green pepper in the last 15 minutes for a more vegetable-rich version.

• •

  Serve over steamed rice instead of with bread.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Broth freezes well for 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions