As part of a wonderful and long-awaited international trip in 2022, we stayed at the Al Bustan Hotel in Muscat, Oman. At one of its restaurants, I ordered the lamb shuwa. At first I thought it might be related to lamb shawarma, but it is definitely its own dish, consisting of lamb marinated in spices for days prior to cooking. You can see how beautifully tender the lamb is, served on a yellow rice.
I found this online: “A favorite Omani recipe, shuwa (or ‘chauwa’) is a dish of slow-cooked marinated lamb or goat. The meat is coated in a flavourful rub of spices, garlic and oil, although exact recipes and spices used vary from region to region and are influenced at varying degrees by Asian, African and European cuisines.”
While shuwa is traditionally cooked wrapped in banana leaves and buried in a pit of hot coals to cook for anything from 6 hours to 2 days, Greg Malouf’s recipe is suitable for cooking in the oven so it’s a great way to try this fantastic roast lamb recipe at home.
Born in Melbourne to Lebanese parents, Greg Malouf is a recognized authority on Middle Eastern cuisine. I checked him out on Amazon, and there are too many cookbooks to list! He and his wife Lucy Malouf have written 8 award-winning books together, covering the cuisines of Persia, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and more. I ended up purchasing Turquoise – “a chef’s travel through Turkey,” having just visited Cappadocia in spring of 2022.
In this recipe, the chef combined the marinated lamb with a spicy basmati and vermicelli dish.
Roast Lamb Shuwa with Fragrant Rice
1 leg of lamb, bone in
1/2 garlic bulb, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 nutmeg, grated
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tablespoon turmeric
1 pinch of hot smoked paprika
juice of half a lemon
1 2/3 ounces of olive oil
2 banana leaves, or more as needed to wrap the lamb
FRAGRANT RICE
20 saffron threads
1 ounce olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 3/4 ounce fine wheat vermicelli
14 ounces basmati rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 pints chicken stock
juice of half a lemon
1 ounce olive oil
In a large pestle and mortar, crush the garlic cloves with the sea salt to create a smooth paste. Add in all the dry spices, followed by the lemon juice and olive oil. Blend into the garlic paste until evenly combined. (I used a blender for the paste.
Rub the spice paste all over the lamb, working it in thoroughly to completely and evenly cover the meat. Cover the lamb and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
Before cooking, preheat the oven to 140°C/gas mark 1 (285°F) and remove the lamb from the fridge to bring it back up to room temperature. Wrap the leg in the banana leaves, making sure it is fully enclosed. Place in a deep baking tray with any seams from the wrapping facing down to help the leaves stay in place during cooking.
My banana leaves (thank you Amazon) were narrow, so I doubled up and used foil to keep everything intact during cooking.
Cover the tray with tin foil, then bake in the oven for 1–2 hours – check the meat after an hour, as the exact cooking time will depend on the weight and thickness of the joint. The lamb should be tender and still slightly pink in the centre when done. Allow the lamb to rest, still covered, for about 30 minutes while cooking the rice.
Place the saffron threads in a small bowl or cup and cover with 2 ounces warm water. Leave to soak until adding to the rice.
Pour the olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed pan and place over a low heat. Gently sauté the onion for a few minutes until softened and translucent. Roughly break up the vermicelli and stir into the oil, allowing the pieces to colour and brown in the oil.
Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil, then mix in the soaked saffron threads and dry spices. Cover everything with the stock and bring up to the boil.
Cover the pan with a lid. Keeping the heat low, allow to cook for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. Fluff up the rice with a fork, adding a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.
To serve, unwrap the rested lamb and carve into generous slices. Serve immediately with the rice on the side. Or, on top.
I needed to salt the lamb more, and honestly, I wish I’d made double the marinade, so there was some sauciness left on the lamb. Such wonderful flavors!
