A Yemeniyah's Recipes

Step 1: To make Yemeni FAHSA boil 1/4 of a pound of lamb with bones until the meat falls off the bone. Keep aside. Then place the Madra (Yemeni traditional dish made from stone) on high heat. Add 1 tblsp of oil, and 1 diced medium onion.

Step 2: Add 2 cloves minced garlic and some chopped jalapeno peppers and saute

Step 3: Add 2 tblsp of chopped cilantro. Let cook for a minute or two.

Step 4: Add some red chillie sauce [we usually have this on hand in the refrigerator] and let saute for another minutes.

Step 5: Add half a cup of diced green bell peppers.

Step 6: Separate the bone from the meat, and add to the mixture. Break the meat up further, with a wooden spoon.

Step 7: Let cook!

Step 8: Add a cup of water and boil.

Step 9: Add 1 tsp of tomato paste. Mix it in well.

Step 10: All mixed in!

Step 11: Add another cup of water. Let boil.

Step 12: Top it off with Hulba [fenugreek] and let it cook for a minute. Recipe for Hulba:  This is a dip very popular in Yemeni dishes. You will need ground fenugreek for this recipe. Be careful one tblsp of ground fenugreek goes a long way. You will need to soak one tblsp of ground fenugreek in water, preferrably over night. Why do you soak it, well first so that you can get rid of the bitterness of the fenugreek and second that is part of the way it is prepared.Well, after you have left it overnight to soak in water–throw away the water and take the fenugreek paste (yes it has turned into a paste like mixture) and place in a liquidizer. Add one tomato (preferably still a little hard–not ripe and mushy), a clove of garlic, 3 tblsp of cilantro chopped, 1 green chilly (of less if you like), juice of one whole lemon, salt to taste. Usually in Yemen, women mix with a special wooden tool for the purpose–and nowadays they also use a electic hand mixer so it turns out nice and frothy.

Step 13: Serve hot, with bread. Goes well with wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!