- This Lybian dish is little more than stewed meat seasoned with bzaar spice mix. It's very simple but has a very unique flavor.
- The spices in this dish are built on other spice mixes. The ratios shown in the ingredients are correct, but produce more spice mix than is needed for the stew. Making the spice mixes is very time consuming, especially if you need to grind it yourself (and you should). You can also buy bzaar spice off the shelf, although it won't be as fresh as grinding these things up yourself.
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 5 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp ground caraway seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp seven spice mix
- 1 Kg (2lbs) Lamb Cubes or Beef
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 lbs lamb meat
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 2 onions
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 serrano peppers
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
- 2 1/2 tsp bzaar spice mix
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Up to 32 oz lamb or beef stock
- Spice grinder
- Dutch oven or stock pot
- Tongs
- Firm rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Cut the lamb meat into stew-sized chunks, about 1-2" cubed
- Dice the onions
- Mince the garlic
- Prepare the bzaar spice mix by combining the ingredients listed above in a spice grinder and grinding until completely smooth.
- Heat the oil in a pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, add the meat cubes to fry. After a few minutes, turn them. When the meat is browned all over, use tongs to remove the meat to a bowl. Do not add too much meat at once, or the heat will go out of the pot and the meat will not fry.
- When all the meat is browned and removed from the pot, add the onions. Stir and cook for several minutes until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Also add the salt, paprika, bzaar, and tomato paste. Add enough stock to cover the meat. Drop the heat to medium and allow the stew to cook, covered, for at least 1 hour, until the meat is soft and tender.
- Add the pasta and serranos, then cover with more broth. Allow this to simmer until the pasta is cooked. If the liquid level drops too low to cook the pasta, add more. Don't add too much; this stew should be thick and sticky when done.
- When the pasta is al dente, it's ready to serve.