Gulf Salona with Meat and Vegetables
Salona is a Gulf-style meat or chicken stew with vegetables, and what distinguishes it from any other stew is black loomi and bzar spice. The vegetables go in in stages according to how long each needs, not all at once.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Calories
- 340
Salona is an everyday Gulf dish served alongside plain rice, and the two things that make it Gulf rather than generic are the dried black lime and the bzar blend.
Method
-
1
Brown the meat
Brown the beef in oil over high heat on all sides until deeply coloured. Work in two batches — a crowded pan makes the meat boil in its own liquid instead of browning.
⏱ 10 min -
2
The base
Add the onion and soften it, then the tomato paste and bzar and stir for two minutes until the raw smell of the paste goes and its colour deepens.
⏱ 6 min -
3
Simmer
Add the grated tomato, the pierced loomi and enough water to cover the meat by two fingers, then cover and simmer gently for 50 minutes until the meat is tender.
⏱ 52 min -
4
Firm vegetables first
Add the potato and carrot first — they need 15 minutes. Put in with the meat from the start they would disintegrate completely.
⏱ 15 min -
5
Soft vegetables last
Add the courgette and pepper for the last 7 minutes only. These cook quickly and extra time turns them to paste.
⏱ 8 min -
6
Adjust and serve
Press the loomi with a spoon to release its sourness into the broth and check the salt. Serve with plain fluffy rice and salad.
⏱ 4 min
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Tips that actually matter
- Vegetables in stages by cooking time — potato and carrot 15 minutes, courgette and pepper 7.
- Press the loomi with a spoon at the end so it releases its acidity into the broth.
- Brown the meat in two batches; crowding makes it boil and costs you half the flavour.
- Like all stews it improves on the second day as the spices penetrate the meat.
People also ask
Why do my vegetables disintegrate?
They all went in at once at the start. Potato and carrot need 15 minutes and courgette and pepper 7 — that order is what lets each cook properly.
What is Gulf bzar?
A spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, turmeric and sometimes ground loomi. It is sold ready-made, and you can mix your own in roughly equal parts.
Can I make it with chicken?
Yes, and it is very common. The simmering drops to 25 minutes instead of 50 and the rest is identical — the vegetables still go in in the same order.
Cook mode
Gulf Salona with Meat and Vegetables
-
1
Brown the meat
Brown the beef in oil over high heat on all sides until deeply coloured. Work in two batches — a crowded pan makes the meat boil in its own liquid instead of browning.
-
2
The base
Add the onion and soften it, then the tomato paste and bzar and stir for two minutes until the raw smell of the paste goes and its colour deepens.
-
3
Simmer
Add the grated tomato, the pierced loomi and enough water to cover the meat by two fingers, then cover and simmer gently for 50 minutes until the meat is tender.
-
4
Firm vegetables first
Add the potato and carrot first — they need 15 minutes. Put in with the meat from the start they would disintegrate completely.
-
5
Soft vegetables last
Add the courgette and pepper for the last 7 minutes only. These cook quickly and extra time turns them to paste.
-
6
Adjust and serve
Press the loomi with a spoon to release its sourness into the broth and check the salt. Serve with plain fluffy rice and salad.
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