# Sudanese Shaiyah with Spiced Meat

> Shaiyah is grilled over **very high heat for a very short time** — the pieces are small and cook in just 6-8 minutes. Slow grilling dries them out into jerky. The seasoning stays simple: salt and pepper before grilling, spices after.

**Sudanese Cuisine · 35 min · 4 servings · 380 kcal per serving**

Shaiyah is the best-known Sudanese street food, sold in dedicated grill shops called mashawi. Small pieces of meat grilled fast over charcoal, served in paper with dugga (ground peanut and spice) and salad.

## Ingredients


### اللحم
- 800 g — lamb or beef, cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp — salt
- 1 tsp — black pepper
- 2 tbsp — oil

### بهارات الشية
- 1 tsp — cumin
- 1 tsp — ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp — chilli
- 0.5 tsp — cinnamon

### الدقة
- 0.5 cup — toasted peanuts, coarsely ground
- 1 tsp — chilli
- 1 tsp — cumin
- 0.5 tsp — salt

### To serve
- 1 حبة — onion, sliced
- 2 حبات — tomatoes
- 1 حبة — lemon

## Method

1. **Cut the meat** — Cut the meat into small cubes (2 cm) — this size matters so it cooks fast before it dries out.
2. **Light seasoning** — Season the meat with only salt, pepper and oil, and leave it 15 minutes. Heavy spices burn over fierce heat.
3. **The dugga** — Coarsely grind the toasted peanuts and mix them with the chilli, cumin and salt.
4. **Heat the grill** — Burn the charcoal down to white-hot embers with a fierce heat, or heat a cast-iron pan on the highest setting until it smokes.
5. **Grill fast** — Lay the meat on the grate in batches for **6 to 8 minutes in total**, turning every two minutes. It must stay juicy inside.
6. **Spices after grilling** — Tip the meat into a bowl while hot and toss it with the shaiyah spices — the residual heat opens their aroma without burning them.
7. **Serve** — Serve immediately with the dugga, onion, tomato, lemon and bread.

## Tips

- Small 2 cm cubes — the size is what lets it cook before drying out.
- Salt and pepper before, spices after — heavy spices burn over fierce heat.
- 6-8 minutes total, no more. Slow grilling turns it to jerky.
- Cuts with some fat protect the meat from drying over fierce heat.

## FAQ

### What is Sudanese dugga?
A mixture of toasted peanuts ground with chilli, cumin and salt, served with shaiyah for dipping. It is rich and crunchy and it is the dish's best feature.

### Can I do it in the oven?
Yes, under the grill on its highest setting for 8 minutes with turning. Less flavour, but an acceptable result.

### Which cut of meat is best?
Cuts with some fat, like shoulder or rib — the fat protects the meat from drying over fierce heat. Fillet dries out quickly.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/sudanese-cuisine/sudanese-shaiyah-with-spices
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-13