Omani Shuwa is an Omani delicacy normally served at celebratory events. This delicious dish is normally prepared by slathered meat in a thick blend of oil and spices, wrapping it banana leaves or palm fonds, marinated for over 24 hours, and then cooked over hot embers underground in a pre-prepared “Shuwa Pit” for a further 24 hours. However, this dish can even be made in the comfort of your own home using a traditional oven. Here’s how:
Ingredients
- Leg of Lamb (Bone in)
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper Powder
- 10 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
- 1½ tsp. Cumin Powder
- 1½ tsp Fine Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 25-30 Powdered Dry Red Chillies (added to taste)
- 2 tsp. powdered Coriander Seeds
- 2 tsp. Salt (added to taste)
- 4 tbsp. Oil
- 3 tbsp. Vinegar
- 1 Juiced Lemon
- Banana leaves
For the Shuwa start by washing the lamb leg and making deep gashes into the meat. This is important to ensure a flavourful dish. Mix all the remaining ingredients to a paste and rub the mixture all over the lamb and deep into each of the gashes you made earlier. Take a baking dish and place a Banana leaf into it (you can use aluminium foil if you do not have access to a Banana leaf). Place the lamb into the leaf and pour any remaining paste over it and then fold the leaf or foil to cover the lamb completely. Cover the dish and marinate the lamb in a refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
After the meat has marinated, remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. When preparing to cook, preheat the oven to 250F. Once ready, remove the lid from the baking dish and place it into the oven (keep the leaf/foil wrapping on). Bake the lamb for about 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender. Turn the meat around very hour or so to ensure it is cooked evenly. Once that is done, increase the oven temperature to 350F and open the banana wrap and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the meat is dark brown. Remove the meat from oven and let it rest for at least ten minutes before serving the shuwa with rice.