Ingredients

• Dough
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour · ½ tsp salt · ½–⅔ cup water
• Stew
• 8 chicken drumsticks (lamb is the Najdi classic)
• 1 large onion, chopped · 4 garlic cloves, minced · 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste · 2 medium tomatoes, grated
• 1 tbsp baharat · 1 tsp cumin · ½ tsp turmeric · ½ tsp cinnamon · ½ tsp cardamom
• 2 dried black limes (loomi), pierced
• 2 carrots, sliced · 1 zucchini, sliced · 2 potatoes, cubed
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro · water to cover · salt and pepper

Method

1. Knead the dough smooth and rest it 30 minutes.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic; add the spices, loomi, tomato paste and grated tomato.
3. Add the meat, sear until it changes color, cover with hot water, and simmer until tender.
4. Add the vegetables and cook until just softening; keep the stew loose — the dough drinks broth.
5. Roll the dough almost paper-thin and cut it into wide sheets or squares.
6. Slip the sheets in one at a time so they don’t stick, and simmer 15–25 minutes until silky. Rest, scatter with cilantro, and serve in one communal dish — a spoon of ghee and chili slices on top is the Najdi finish.