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    Home » Recipes » Non Vegetarian

    Published: Sep 17, 2014 · Modified: Mar 19, 2021 by Usha Rao

    Omani Shuwa ~ Slow Cooked Lamb

    Jump to Recipe

    Omani Shuwa is a flavorful marinated lamb slow cooked for hours until juicy and tender. It is a delicacy prepared for special occasions.

    Omani Shuwa - slow cooked lamb on a plate with some salad and flavored rice.

    Today we travel to the Arab nation of Oman, officially known as Sultanate of Oman. Unlike other Arab nations, Oman has modest oil reserves. In 2010 United Nations Development Program ranked Oman as the most improved nations in terms of development in last 40 years and is also categorized as high income economy. (Source Wiki)

    Coming to the cuisine of the country, like with any cuisine, the food varies from region to region. Staple food of the country is meat, rice and vegetables. Soups are common, made with chicken, lamb and vegetables.

    Main meal is usually eaten midday and dinner is light. There were many interesting preparations but when it comes to Middle East and Arabic cuisines, I only wanted to do desserts. Since I am off desserts for now, Shuwa caught my eye. This preparation is made during festivals and is a delicacy from the region.

    What is Shuwa?

    Shuwa is roasted meat cooked in a special oven, a pit underground. Meat rubbed with spices is wrapped in dry banana or palm leaves, placed in sacks and cooked in an oven until tender. The special oven is prepared by putting a drum or metal container in a pit.

    Fire is made in this container and then the sacks of meat are dropped in to it. The container is closed with a lid and pit is covered. The meat is let to slow cook in the fire for 1 – 2 days. This is usually a communal activity by the entire village.

    I found this video and it was quite interesting watching how the shuwa is prepared. It was amazing to watch how the meat cooked underground in a backyard makes to an elegant formal dining table!

    Omani lamb shank on a plate with some salad and flavored rice.

    Omani Shuwa in modern kitchens

    In modern kitchens, cook Omani shuwa in the oven though it would lack the flavor the meat gets by slow cooking in an airtight container under the ground. This is one of those recipes that requires a lot of preplanning ahead of time and also requires a lot of cooking time.

    I first made the shuwa with a goat leg and it was too much for two people. Also, I was not really happy with the spices I used. Store bought cardamom flavor was too strong for my taste. I did not like the taste of the shuwa and redid it.

    The second time I made it with 2 lamb shanks and adjusted the spices to my taste. I totally loved the taste this time and U thought it was ok. According to him, with all the pre-planning and a 4 hour affair (cooking time), he thought it tasted average. He is not a big fan of kebabs or grilled meats. If given a choice between curries and grilled food, he always prefers meat curries. I on the other hand love grilled meats and prefer it over meat curries.

    Again, this is not one of those recipes which requires at least overnight marination and at least 3 ½ - 4 hours of cooking time.

    How to serve?

    Serve shuwa with some flavored rice and salad on the side. I served it with some Saffron Rice. Zucchini rice is another flavored rice that will go well with shuwa as it is lightly flavored and tasty as well.

    Before and after images of lamb shanks.

    Omani Shuwa Recipe

    Adapted: Cooking with Thas
    Marinating Time: Overnight or 1 - 2 days

    📖 Recipe

    Omani Food, Omani Cuisine, Roasted Meat, Blogging Marathon, Around the world in 30 days with ABC cooking,

    Omani Shuwa

    Omani Shuwa is marinated lamb slow cooked for hours until juicy and tender. A delicacy usually prepared during festivals and special occasions.
    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Omani
    Prep Time: 1 day day
    Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories:
    Author: Usha Rao

    Equipment

    • Knife to make gashes on meat
    • Baking pan
    • Banana Leaf or Aluminum foil
    • Oven

    Ingredients

    • 2 Lamb Shanks I used New Zealand shanks from Whole Foods and each shank around 0.7 lbs.
    • 2 teaspoon Garlic crushed
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
    • ¾ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
    • ¾ teaspoon Cumin Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds powdered or 1 ¼ tsp. Coriander Powder
    • 10 Cloves or approx. ¼ tsp. Cloves Powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
    • 2 tablespoon Vinegar I used red wine vinegar
    • 1 Lime juiced
    • 2 – 2 ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste. I think I used 2 tsp.
    • 2 ½ - 3 tablespoon Oil
    • Banana leaves I used frozen leaves that I picked up from a Latin store

    Instructions

    • Wash lamb shanks and make big and deep gashes. This is very important if you want a flavorful spicy meat.
    • Mix all the ingredients except lamb to a paste.
    • Rub this spice paste on to the lamb and into the gashes. Use your fingers to rub the meat as deep as you can.
    • Take a baking dish and place a banana leaf in it. Place the lamb on the leaf and pour any remaining spice mixture over it.
    • Fold the banana leaf over the lamb to cover the lamb and it should look like a packet. Cover the baking dish and marinate in the refrigerate overnight or 24 – 48 hours.
    • Remove marinated lamb from the fridge and leave it on the countertop for 30 – 60 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. This is an optional.
    • Preheat the oven to 250F and place the baking dish in the oven. Do not forget to remove the cover/lid of the baking dish.
    • Bake lamb wrapped in banana leaf for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Turn the meat around very 1 – 1 ½ hours.
    • It took 3 hours in my oven and the meat was tender. Depending on the size and thickness of the meat, one may have to cook it longer.
    • Change the oven temperature to 350 F, open the banana wrap and cook for another 20 minutes until the meat is dark brown.
    • After cooking for 3 hours, banana wrap will dry up and will begin to fall apart. I left the leaf in the dish itself and opened /removed the leaf on the top before roasting it at 350 F.
    • Remove from oven and let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
    • I served it with flavored rice.

    Notes

    • Lamb/Goat - I used lamb shanks but leg would be ideal for this preparation. You can also use a goat leg.
    • Banana Leaf - gives the meat a unique flavor. However, if you can not procure one, wrap the meat in an aluminum foil.
    Tried this recipe?Share a photo! Mention @usha_myspicykitchen or tag #Usha_MySpicyKitchen!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    1. Pritha says

      January 30, 2016 at 3:46 am

      ???

      Reply
    2. Priya Srinivasan says

      November 22, 2014 at 11:11 am

      Lovely clicks usha!!

      Reply
    3. themadscientistskitchen says

      October 13, 2014 at 10:42 pm

      Wow! The amount of work you have put in is just wow. The shuwa looks yum. I would love a bite.

      Reply
    4. Chef Mireille says

      October 11, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      is this why you were asking me where to get banana leaves...I am amazed how many recipes you tried repeatedly to make it right. kudos to you

      Reply
      • MySpicyKitchen says

        October 12, 2014 at 5:28 pm

        Yes, I asked for this recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Pavani says

      October 02, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      That sounds like a very flavorful dish.

      Reply
    6. manjulabharathkumar says

      September 19, 2014 at 9:12 am

      Nice presentation and well captured !!

      Reply
    7. Vaishali Sabnani says

      September 17, 2014 at 9:49 pm

      Beautiful clicks as always..infact even better:))

      Reply
    8. Harini says

      September 17, 2014 at 7:47 pm

      Well presented, Usha.

      Reply
    9. Varada says

      September 17, 2014 at 8:44 am

      Nice presentation

      Reply
    10. cookingwithsapana says

      September 17, 2014 at 6:33 am

      Very nice presentation of that dish. Lovely captures..

      Reply
    11. Priya says

      September 17, 2014 at 2:25 am

      Omg, cant resist to those slow cooked lamb meat,if my H see this post, he will definitely start asking for this dish.

      Reply
    12. Srivalli says

      September 17, 2014 at 1:46 am

      Your pictures look so good Usha..I am sure non veg would love this meal!

      Reply

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