Saltah (Salta)
Overview
Saltah is the national dish of Yemen, a thick, bubbling soup-stew served straight from a hot stone pot. It starts with maraq, a meat broth made from lamb or beef with onion, garlic and spices such as cumin, turmeric and cardamom. Some of the broth is boiled hard in a stone or clay pot with fried onion, tomato, potato and chilli until it thickens. On top goes hilbeh, ground fenugreek soaked and whipped with water until it is a light, green, frothy foam, often with a little sahawiq chilli relish. It reaches the table still boiling and is scooped up with flat bread rather than eaten with a spoon.
History
Saltah is widely eaten in the northern parts of Yemen, and in Sana'a it is the usual midday meal, especially for men eating out at small restaurants. In the time of the Ottoman Empire it was made as a charitable food from leftovers given by the wealthy and by mosques, which may explain how many different ingredients can go into it. The fenugreek froth is what makes it Yemeni.
Main ingredients
Lamb broth (maraq), fenugreek (hilbeh), potato, tomato, onion, green chilli. The soup is built on lamb broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Lamb soups · Tomato soups · Potato soups
Recipe
Method
- 1
Whisk the drained fenugreek with a few spoons of cold water until it becomes a pale, frothy foam.
- 2
Fry the onion and garlic in the oil in a heavy pot, then add the tomatoes, chilli and spices.
- 310 min
Add the potatoes and broth and boil hard for 10 minutes until thick.
- 4
Spoon the fenugreek froth on top and serve bubbling with flat bread.
- ✓
Serve. About 50 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
