Eid recipes: Shuwa

Shuwa  شوى

Shuwa is probably the most well-known of uniquely Omani foods. It is typically cooked only during the major holidays of Eid, partly because of the expense, the need to collaborate with other households, and the sheer work required. Shuwa is prepared in Oman twice a year as there are two Eids in the Islamic year. The earlier Eid marks the end of the fasting month Ramadhan, while the later holiday commemorates the prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) sacrifice of his son Ismail (Ishmael) at Allah’s request (Allah later told him to sacrifice a ram at the last minute).

Making shuwa is a big undertaking for Omani families during Eid. Quantities are huge so that there is enough for feasting and sharing with others. The spiced slabs of meat practically fall apart by themselves after being baked overnight in underground ovens, so never turn down the opportunity to try some. Most of the action takes place on the first day of Eid, but preparations begin as early as 40 days before the holiday.

First, ensure you have a shuwa pit. Different households within a family may share one. A pit for a very large family may be lined with stones set in concrete, and sport a custom-made metal cover. Several households may share a small shuwa pit which is made by fitting a petrol drum vertically into a hole, then fashioning a metal cover for the drum.

Next, prepare the spice rub 14 to 40 days before Eid so that it has the time to age properly. 

Ingredients, spice rub, called khamera

¼ kg dried dates

½ kg local red chilli flakes

1 kg garlic

1 tablespoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons salt

2 to 3 litres water

Method

Mix all ingredients together and place in pail.

Seal the pail, and leave in the sun for 14 days.

When ready to use, stir the mixture and strain, reserving the liquid.

Other essentials, shuwa

A sack made of woven date palm leaves (khasfa), or two gunny sacks, the type used for transporting rice or flour

Banana leaves, any amount, and in any condition – fresh or dry, flat or bunched together

Thin wire and wire cutters

Ingredients, shuwa

Meat on the bone from the breast and legs of a cow, or a large goat; about 50kg of meat for a small family

Spice rub

½ kg clove powder

½ kg cumin powder

½ kg ginger powder

½ kg salt

½ kg turmeric powder

1 kg cinnamon powder

1 kg coriander powder

4 heaped tablespoons black pepper powder

Optional: chilli flakes to taste

Sealing the sack by 'sewing' it with wire.

Method

Soak the sacks for half an hour. Use two sacks instead of one if using gunny sacks. About half a goat will fit in one sack.

Soak meat to get rid of the blood.

Chop meat into rough A4-sized slabs.

Add all the spices and the salt to the spice rub, and mix well.

Add chilli if desired.

Apply the spice rub to each slab of meat, ensuring that it is thoroughly covered with the solids in the mixture.

Stack the spiced meat in the sack, alternating a layer of meat with a layer of banana leaves.

From time to time, wiggle the sack up and down to pack the contents more closely together. The sack is porous so this can get messy.

Sew up the top of the sack with wire.

Run more wire around the sack and down its length so that it will be easy to remove the sack later on.

Fill the shuwa pit (or petrol drum) with thick simr (acacia tortilis) branches, and light with petrol.

The pit is ready for use when the simr branches have turned into a layer of glowing charcoal taking up about a third of the pit.

Wedge the sacks into the pit.

Once the pit is full, cover it with its lid and then a mound of earth to make an air-tight seal.

Unearth the sacks in 24 to 48 hours.

The sacks will be brittle; unravel the wire and then carve the meat straight from the sack onto a tray so it can be easily transported home. Most of the large bones will be discarded on the spot.

 Sacks and banana leaves will appear just before Eid at the souqs in Oman.

 Charcoal can be substituted for sidr wood.

 Shuwa will keep in the fridge for several days. Extra spice rub can be kept for the next Eid, in nearly a year’s time.

 Sometimes, pits are uncovered only to find that the shuwa has not cooked because there was not enough heat. This can happen if there was not enough wood in the first place, or if the charcoal was not hot enough when the pit was closed. In such cases it is possible to recreate the heat source and bury the shuwa for another 24 hours.

 A portion of the raw meat is typically set aside for making mushakik, which are a form of kebab. The cubed pieces of meat are threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over a charcoal fire on the second day of Eid. A good mushakik has to be ‘strong’, so make sure your teeth can handle it if you try one.

 Over the next few days of Eid, different households will exchange shuwa and mushakik as everyone has a different recipe. The above recipe comes from Eating Omani by Omar Al Aamri.

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