Yemeni Recipes

Yemeni cooking is shaped by high mountain farms, a long coastline and old trade routes across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Meals are built on bread, rice, meat and a few strong seasonings. Hawaij, a spice blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom and black pepper, flavors many stews and rice dishes, while hilba (a froth of soaked fenugreek) and sahawiq (a fresh chili and tomato relish) finish them at the table. Lamb, goat and chicken are the usual meats, and fish is common along the coast. Stews often arrive still bubbling in heavy stone bowls, and rice dishes such as mandi are cooked with meat in sealed ovens. Breakfast leans on flaky malawah bread, eggs, ghee and honey, and tea is brewed strong and sweet with milk and cardamom. In Ramadan, tables fill with sambusa, soups and shafout, and celebrations end with bint al-sahn, a layered bread glazed with honey.

Staple ingredients

• wheat flatbreads
• lamb, goat and chicken
• rice
• fenugreek (hilba)
• cumin, coriander and cardamom
• tomatoes and onions
• fresh chilies and cilantro
• ghee and honey

• Breakfast 1
• Appetizers 2
• Main Dishes 5
• Breads 1
• Desserts 1
• Drinks 1
• Sauces, Dips and Condiments 1

Breakfast

• Masoub (Yemeni Mashed Banana and Bread with Honey)YE20 minEasy

Appetizers

• Sambusa (Yemeni Fried Meat Pastries)YE1 h 15 minMedium
• Shafout (Yemeni Flatbread in Herbed Yogurt)YE20 minEasy

Main Dishes

• Chicken Mandi (Yemeni Spiced Chicken and Rice)YE1 h 45 minMedium
• Haneeth (Yemeni Slow-Roasted Lamb)YE3 h 35 minEasy
• Saltah (Yemeni Lamb Stew with Fenugreek Froth)YE2 h 20 minMedium
• Fahsa (Yemeni Shredded Beef Stew)YE2 h 55 minMedium
• Zurbian (Yemeni Chicken and Rice Layered Pot)YE1 h 50 minMedium

Breads

• Malawah (Yemeni Flaky Pan-Fried Flatbread)YE1 h 15 minMedium

Desserts

• Bint Al-Sahn (Yemeni Honey Layered Bread)YE1 h 20 minMedium

Drinks

• Shai Adeni (Yemeni Spiced Milk Tea)YE17 minEasy

Sauces, Dips and Condiments

• Sahawiq (Yemeni Fresh Chili and Tomato Relish)YE15 minEasy