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Omani · Dinner

Omani banana-leaf slow-roasted lamb (home-oven shuwa)

Garlic-vinegar lamb shoulder saturated with Omani warm spices, sealed in banana leaf, and slow-roasted until the meat pulls apart under a dark aromatic crust.

About 31 hr 10 minTotal
About 7 hr 10 minActive
$$$Cost
AdvancedDifficulty
Makes 10 servings
Home-oven Omani shuwa with dark spice-crusted pull-apart lamb shoulder opened from banana leaves over rice with reserved juices.

Equipment

  • Use another sturdy metal roaster; transfer the drippings if it is not stovetop-safe.

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 10 servings

  • 1 bone-in lamb shoulder, 6 to 7 pounds
  • 3 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 12 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil
  • 4 large thawed banana leaves, rinsed and dried
  • 2 cups water
  • Steamed basmati rice and date chutney, for serving
  • Parchment paper and heavy-duty foil

Instructions

  1. Trim only hard exterior fat from lamb and cut 20 deep narrow slits across both sides. Mix cumin, coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, cayenne, salt, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and oil into a loose paste; work it into every slit and surface. Cover and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

  2. Heat oven to 275°F. Pass banana leaves briefly over a gas flame or hot dry skillet only until flexible, not charred. Cross leaves over a , set lamb in the center, and wrap it fully; surround with parchment, then seal tightly with foil so food never touches foil directly.

  3. Add water to the roasting pan outside the wrapped parcel. Cover the pan and roast 5 1/2 to 6 hours until a probe slides through the parcel into meat with little resistance and the thickest section is around 195°F.

  4. Open the parcel away from the face, reserving juices. Increase oven to 450°F, uncover lamb, and roast 15 to 25 minutes until the spice crust darkens without burning garlic. Rest 20 minutes.

  5. Skim excess fat from the juices and spoon the concentrated liquid over pulled or sliced lamb. Serve over rice with date chutney, while stating clearly that the oven version lacks the smoke and earth character of communal pit-roasted shuwa.

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