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Suqaar (Somali Beef Cubes with Vegetables)

Suqaar (Somali Beef Cubes with Vegetables) reads umami 7.6, citrus 5.5 and sourness 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Somali main, about 1 hr 10 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Citrus 5.5 · Sourness 5.0 · Richness 4.9 · Allium 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Sweetness 3.3 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Earthy 2.6 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.4 · Fruity 1.0 · Nutty 0.6

What's in it (13)

• beef sirloin — 900 g
• vegetable oil — 55 g
• onion — 150 g
• garlic — 12 g
• xawaash — 10 g
• cumin — 5 g
• potatoes — 300 g
• carrots — 200 g
• green bell pepper — 150 g
• water — 500 g
• salt — 7 g
• coriander — 100 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 10 min (1 hr 9 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 114.7 kcal, 11.7 g protein, 5.8 g fat, 5.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Cut the beef into small, even 1 cm cubes - suqaar takes its name from the cut, and pieces this size are what let a tough-sounding dish cook in well under an hour.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat and cook the sliced onion 5 minutes, until it starts to soften.
3. Add the garlic, then stir in the xawaash and cumin and cook 1 minute. The blend should smell of cumin and cardamom and warm bark; if you are tasting chilli, that is not xawaash.
4. Add the beef cubes and turn them through the spiced onion for 4 minutes, until they lose their raw colour.
5. Pour in the boiling water and the salt, cover, and cook 30 minutes over medium-low heat.
6. Add the diced potato and carrot, cover, and cook 12 minutes, then add the bell pepper and cook a final 3 minutes so it keeps some snap.
7. The pot should finish moist rather than soupy; if there is loose liquid, uncover and let it boil off for 3 minutes.
8. Scatter the coriander over and serve with lime wedges, alongside rice, canjeero or sabaayad - and a dish of basbaas for anyone who wants heat.
9. Substitutions: tender stewing beef can stand in for the beef sirloin.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Greek Meatball Soup with Egg-Lemon Broth — Greek
• Slow-Roasted Greek Leg of Lamb with Lemon Potatoes — Greek
• Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables) — Egyptian
• Posole with Red Chile — New Mexican
• Bamia (Okra Stew) — Egyptian

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.