Maraq and Sabaayad are an iconic Somali duo that pairs together perfectly. The rich, savory stew with its starchy potatoes complements the flaky, golden flatbread in a way that just makes sense; it is perfect for soaking up all that flavorful broth.
Maraq is a hearty Somali meat stew that you can whip up with beef, lamb, or chicken. It’s packed with veggies, but potatoes are the show’s real star—they make the stew starchy enough and add a lovely texture and flavor. You can toss in carrots or other veggies if you want, but potatoes are a must!
Sabaayad, on the other hand, is a simple yet delicious Somali flatbread made with just flour, salt, and oil. It’s like a distant cousin to the Indian roti or a close cousin to the Kenyan chapati.
The difference? Sabaayad doesn’t bustle about being perfectly round. These flatbreads are usually square-ish and a bit flaky, unlike chapati, which is soft all the way through and prides itself on that almost perfect round shape.
Ingredients
For Maraq
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
- 500g Beef/Lamb Cubed (With Bone)
- 2 Medium Potatoes
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 Large Tomato
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Thumb Ginger
- 1 Bunch Coriander/ Cilantro
- 4 Bird’s Eye Chillies [OPTIONAL]
For Sabayaad
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
Procedure
Boil the Meat
Start by boiling your meat in salted water until it’s tender. Use about 3 cups of water for this. If you’re using a pressure cooker, it should take under 20 minutes; on the stovetop, expect it to take upwards of 40 minutes.
Prep the Veggies
While the meat is boiling, prepare your vegetables. Chop the onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and any other veggies you’re using. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Keep the peeled potatoes in water to prevent discoloration.
Brown the Meat
Once the meat is tender, transfer the pieces to a different pot, saving the broth for later. Cook the meat until it’s dry, no longer moist, and almost charred. Then, add 2 tablespoons of oil and coat every piece. Toss in the onions and cook, covered, until they’re soft and translucent. Add the potato chunks at this stage.
Season and Simmer
Next, add a beef bouillon cube or any other spices like garam masala, along with ginger-garlic paste and chopped chilies. Throw in your diced tomatoes and a pinch of salt to help break them down. Cook, covered until everything becomes a mushy consistency.
Add Broth and Simmer
Pour in the reserved broth, just enough to cover the surface of the meat and potatoes. If the broth isn’t enough, top it up with water. Let it simmer on low heat for the next 30 minutes, allowing the stew to reduce and thicken.
Prepare the Sabaayad Dough
While your stew is simmering, start preparing the sabaayad. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil until hot, then pour it into the flour mixture. Stir until the flour forms flakes.
Make the Dough
Slowly add warm water to the flour mixture and knead it into a dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. After resting, divide it into 4 pieces, roll them into circles, create layers, and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
For the step by step on how to make sabayaad check out this detailed recipe
Finish the Stew
After the dough has rested for the second time, your maraq stew should be nearly ready. Add the bell peppers and coriander at this point, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and leave covered to let the flavors concentrate.
Cook the Sabaayad
Roll out the dough to your desired shape—it doesn’t have to be perfect but aim for a roundish form. Heat a pan, add oil, and swirl to coat the base. Place the rolled dough in the pan and cook until golden on the bottom side. Repeat for the remaining dough.
Serve
Once the stew has rested and the sabaayad is cooked, serve them together for a classic Somali delish
Maraq and Sabayaad (Maraq Iyo Sabayaad)
Ingredients
For Maraq
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Beef/Lamb Cubed With Bone
- 2 Medium Potatoes
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 Large Tomato
- 1 Bell Pepper
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Thumb Ginger
- 1 Bunch Coriander/ Cilantro
- 4 Bird’s Eye Chillies [OPTIONAL]
For Sabayaad
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Boil cubed meat in 3 cups of salted water (Pressure cooker: ~20 mins; stovetop: ~40 mins).
- Chop onions, tomatoes, bell peppers; peel and quarter potatoes, keeping them in water.
- Transfer boiled meat to a pot, save the broth, cook meat until dry and almost charred.
- Add 2 tbsp oil to the pot, coat meat, add onions, and cook until soft; add potato chunks.
- Add bouillon, spices, ginger-garlic paste, chilies, tomatoes, and salt; cook until mushy.
- Pour in broth to cover meat and potatoes; simmer for 30 minutes until thickened.
- Add bell peppers, coriander; cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, and cover.
- Mix dry ingredients for sabaayad dough, heat 4 tbsp oil, add to flour mixture, and mix into flakes.
- Slowly add warm water, knead into dough, cover, and rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces, roll into circles, layer, and rest for another 15 minutes.
- Roll dough into roundish shapes, heat pan with oil, cook until golden on the bottom, and repeat.
- Serve the rested stew with freshly cooked sabaayad.
Results
The potatoes in this stew surprisingly hold their shape, adding a peasant chunkiness to the texture. It’s like a blend of rich potato soup with the smoothness of a rich beef stew.
Every bite is flavorful, with a hint of spiciness that keeps things interesting, and the potatoes break up the textural monotony.
Dip the sabaayad in the stew, and you’ll find the soup soaks beautifully through the layers of the flatbread, making each bite irresistibly satisfying.
Nutritional Information
For this recipe serving 2 people, the nutritional content per serving is approximately:
- Calories: 2,451 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 149.5 g
- Fat: 169.55 g
- Protein: 77.45 g
These values are rough estimates based on standard ingredient amounts and may vary depending on specific brands or types of ingredients used.
Other Somali Recipes
Suqaar and Malawax (Suqaar Iyo Malawax)
