In season

May produce

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Beef Si Byan

Beef Si Byan

A Burmese curry from the country's Indian-origin community, sitting somewhere between a Madras and a Burmese ohn-no in spice profile. You marinate chunks of beef chuck or shin in turmeric, fish sauce and salt while you fry onions in oil until they're deep brown - that long onion fry is the foundation. The beef browns in the same oil, then ginger-garlic paste, paprika and chilli powder go in, then tomato and water turn it into a stew. Two hours of slow simmer until the meat falls apart at a fork. The signature finish is the see byan, a deep red-orange oil slick that rises to the top of the curry as it reduces, which is what the dish is named for. Eaten with rice or paratha, and a small bowl of pickled vegetable on the side.

Burmese 3 hours 20 minutes Serves4
Chapli Kebab

Chapli Kebab

Chapli kebabs are the spiced beef patties sizzling on a wide flat tawa at any roadside grill from Peshawar to Kabul, big enough to wrap a hand around and seasoned with the unusual punch of dried pomegranate seeds and coriander. The mince mixes with grated onion, chopped fresh tomato, ginger, garlic, beaten egg and a little gram flour to bind, plus the signature Afghan spice blend (coriander seed, pomegranate seeds, chilli flakes, cumin and garam masala). A thirty-minute rest lets the gram flour absorb the moisture and the spices marry. Pat thin and wide (the word chapli means "flat" or "slipper-shaped"), then fry hard in oil three or four minutes a side until darkly crusted. Eat hot from the pan, wrapped in fresh naan with sliced raw onion and a green chutney.

Afghanistan 1 hour 10 minutes Serves4
Mathloutha

Mathloutha

The Saudi gathering platter built for the night when one cut of meat isn't enough. Three proteins share the same pot: lamb shoulder and beef chunks go in first with a kabsa-spiced tomato base for ninety minutes of slow simmer until they're meltingly tender, then chicken pieces drop in for the last thirty-five minutes (their cook time is shorter, so they go in later). The strained meat broth, deeply spiced from everything that has braised in it, becomes the cooking liquid for basmati scented with saffron and dried lime. At the end you arrange all three meats on top of the rice in the same platter and bring the whole thing to the centre of the table. The kind of dish you make for a wedding lunch, an Eid gathering, or the night the extended family arrives unannounced.

Arabian 3 hours Serves8
Suya

Suya

Beef sirloin or rump is sliced very thin across the grain. A suya spice (yaji) is made by grinding dry-roasted unsalted peanuts with ground ginger, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cloves and salt, the peanut acts as the carrier and gives suya its unique nutty edge. Half the spice rubs into the beef; the strips marinate for 1 hour. They're threaded onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers in an accordion fold, brushed with oil, and grilled over high heat 4-5 minutes per side until charred at the edges. Fresh out of the fire, the skewers are dipped/rolled in the reserved dry spice, served with sliced raw red onion, tomato and shredded cabbage. Maggi and a wedge of lime alongside.

Nigerian 1 hour 37 minutes Serves4