Возлюбленное национальное блюдо Йемена: бурлящее мясное и овощное рагу с пенной фенугрик и ложкой острого чилийского соуса, приправленного хавайджи.
Saltah is widely regarded as Yemen's national dish, a layered stew built from a rich meat broth (maraq), a bed of vegetables, and a distinctive whipped fenugreek foam called hilbeh that sits on top like a cloud. The base broth is usually made with lamb or beef simmered with hawaij, Yemen's warm all-purpose spice blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and black pepper, giving the stew its deep amber color and earthy backbone. What makes saltah instantly recognizable is the hilbeh — fenugreek seeds soaked and blended into a frothy, slightly bitter foam — spread generously over the top just before serving alongside a fiery green sahawiq (zhoug) chile relish stirred through at the table. Saltah is traditionally served bubbling hot in a stone or clay pot straight from the fire, so hot that it continues sizzling as it's brought to the table, and is meant to be eaten by scooping with pieces of Yemeni flatbread rather than utensils. It's a communal, informal dish — found on lunch tables from Sana'a to rural highland villages — and the balance of the earthy broth, the bitter fenugreek foam, and the sharp heat of the chile relish is what makes it endlessly craveable rather than one-note.
Служит 6
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season meat with salt and half the hawaij, and sear in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, and remaining hawaij, and cook 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
Return the meat to the pot, add stock and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 75-90 minutes until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Drain the soaked fenugreek seeds and blend with a clove of garlic, cilantro, green chiles, a pinch of salt, and a few tablespoons of water until it becomes a thick, frothy, pale foam.
If using egg, stir the beaten egg into the very hot stew just before serving so it cooks into thin ribbons, adding body to the broth.
Ladle the bubbling stew into individual bowls or a stone pot. Spoon the fenugreek foam generously over the top. Serve immediately with flatbread for scooping.
Всё для планирования недели — бесплатно
Готовьте, не касаясь экрана
Получите ИИ-планы питания, пошаговый режим готовки и сохранённые рецепты в бесплатном приложении Bento.
Soak fenugreek seeds a full 24 hours if possible; under-soaked seeds stay hard and gritty and won't whip into a proper foam.
Blend the hilbeh right before serving — it deflates and loses its airy texture if it sits too long.
Serve saltah as hot as possible; part of its character is the sizzling, still-bubbling presentation at the table.
If hawaij isn't available pre-mixed, combine equal parts ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric with a pinch each of cardamom and black pepper.
Seafood saltah, popular in coastal areas like Aden, swaps the lamb for shrimp or white fish.
A vegetarian version uses chickpeas and extra potato instead of meat, simmered in the same hawaij-spiced broth.
Some households add a scoop of cooked rice to the bottom of the bowl before ladling the stew over it.
Refrigerate the stew (without the hilbeh foam) up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop. Make fresh hilbeh each time you serve, as it doesn't keep its texture once refrigerated.
Saltah is considered Yemen's national dish and is believed to have roots in older Yemeni highland cooking traditions predating the more recent influence of Ottoman and South Asian trade routes on the region's cuisine; the fenugreek foam topping is a distinctly Yemeni technique not commonly found in neighboring Gulf or Levantine cooking.
Hilbeh is whipped fenugreek foam, and there's no real substitute for its distinctive bitter, slightly nutty flavor — but if fenugreek seeds are hard to find, a spice shop or South Asian grocer will usually stock them under that name.
The seeds most likely weren't soaked long enough — give them a full day of soaking in cold water so they soften completely before blending; under-soaked seeds stay tough and won't aerate.
The base stew itself is mild and earthy; the heat comes entirely from the sahawiq or zhoug chile relish stirred in at the table, so you can control the spice level to taste.
Yes, chicken thighs work well and cook faster — reduce the simmering time to about 35-40 minutes so the chicken doesn't overcook and dry out.
За порцию (380g) · 6 общее количество порций
Спросите нашего помощника по кулинарии с искусственным интеллектом что-нибудь об этом рецепте — о заменах, методах, масштабировании.
Чат с AI Chef →Этот рецепт представлен в следующих руководствах:
Присоединяйтесь к разговору
Войдите, чтобы оставить комментарий и сохранить любимые рецепты.
Всё для планирования недели — бесплатно
Есть отзыв или нужна помощь?
Мы читаем каждое письмо и отвечаем в течение 1–2 рабочих дней.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. Все права защищены.
