Malhi – Iraqi Meat Stew in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce with homemade date syrup (silan)

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade date syrup (silan) ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Put the dates and water in a pot and bring to a boil.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Cook over low heat 5 minutes and mash the dates with a wooden spoon.

   Stove
3. 3
   Line a sieve with thin cloth and set it over a bowl. Pour in the mixture, press the dates with a spoon, gather the edges of the cloth and squeeze well.

   ColanderCheeseclothBowl
4. 4
   Return the liquid to the pot and reduce over low heat about half an hour, until to a thick syrup.

   StovePot
5. 5
   Let the date syrup cool.

   Jar

To assemble

1. 6
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and brown the meat on all sides. Remove to a plate.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Brown the meat in batches, without crowding: in a crowded pot it stews in its own juices instead of searing.

   💡What you brown (meat, patties, schnitzel) goes into hot oil: in lukewarm oil it soaks it up and comes out greasy. For onion and garlic that you soften, oil heated over medium or low heat is enough; do not wait for it to smoke.
2. 7
   Add the onion to the oil left in the wide pot and fry for 10 minutes, stirring, until the onion turns golden.

   StoveWide, shallow pot

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 8
   Add the garlic and fry 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   Stove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
4. 9
   Add the baharat and cinnamon and fry 30 seconds, until fragrant.

   Stove
5. 10
   Add the tomato paste and fry 2 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
6. 11
   Add the pomegranate juice, water and honey and bring to a boil.

   Stove
7. 12
   Return the meat to the pot and season with salt and black pepper.
8. 13
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 60–70 minutes, until the meat soft.

   StoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
9. 14
   Serve with the pomegranate seeds and rice.