طريقة عمل السماقية الغزاوية

المكونات

٥٠٠ جرام لحم بقري

٢٥٠ جرام من السلق

٢٠٠ جرام سماق

٤ بصل وسط كبير

١ رأس ثوم

٤-٥ فلفل أخضر

١ ملعقة طعام بذور شبت

نصف كوب طحينة

٣٠٠ جرام حمص

٢-٣ ملاعق كبيرة طحين

طريقة العمل

If you’re a Palestinian, you probably know the value of Sumai’yah in our cuisine. It is one of the most important dishes in Gaza, if not THE most. Our grandmothers cooked it with the purest form of love, combining ingredients you wouldn’t dream of mixing.

Basically, we stew the beef in aromatics, onions, garlic, dill seeds, green peppers and chard and then cook the whole lot in sumac infused water. Hence the name. Sumac is a tangy spice used in many Middle Eastern dishes. Finish it off with a touch of Tahini and you have yourself a traditional Palestinian dish. The outcome is of a stew-like consistency, poured in large or individual dishes and left to cool. It is best served cold with a drizzle of olive oil and hot bread, maybe some Shatta too (red pepper paste, check recipe) for those spice lovers.  

 Sumai’yah is a society dish, shared with loved ones. It is also served in most occasions, even weddings.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams beef
• 250 grams chard
• 200 grams sumac
• 4 medium large onions
• 1 garlic head
• 4-5 green peppers
• 1 tablespoon dill seeds
• ¼ cup tahini paste
• 300 grams chickpeas
• 2-3 tablespoons flour

*Traditionally  Sumai’yah is made with beef, but over the years I’ve seen some people add in some lamb to it. So you can if you want to. Cut the beef into bite size pieces, this makes it easier to scoop up with your bread without having to squish it in the plate.

*Use a large pan because this recipe tends to yield a big batch. Add in a mix of some vegetable and olive oil and sauté the finely chopped onions until translucent. Add the beef pieces, sprinkle some black pepper and mix for a few minutes. Chop the chard and add to the pan.

* While that is cooking, blend the peeled garlic cloves, the green peppers and dill seeds in the electric mixer until fine. Mix it in with the beef and onions, lower the heat, cover and leave the meat to completely cook. If your using dry chickpeas, you need to soak them overnight and mix them in now. They require some time to cook. If you feel the mixture is drying out, maybe sticking to the bottom of the pan you can add 1-2 cups of water to help the cooking process.

*Meanwhile, prepare the sumac. Soak the sumac in a pan with 1 – 1 ½ liters of water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and let it cool for a few minutes and then strain it. Use a fine strainer. We need the sumac water and not the actual sumac. Add in the flour and whisk. The flour is a thickener that will help all this sumac water, chard and beef cool into a delicious consistency to make it easier to scoop with your bread.  Once the beef and chickpeas are completely cooked pour on the sumac water.  This is when you add the salt. Don’t add it earlier, it will affect the meat cooking process. Give it a taste to check the acidity and salt level. Sumai’yah is meant to be sour. Make sure to use good quality sumac for the best flavor. If you can’t find any though, and your sumac isn’t very acidic, you can add ½ a teaspoon of citric acid. Not any more because it does give a bitter taste.   

*If you are using canned chickpeas, wash, drain and add them in now. Pour in the tahini, mix and give it a taste again. If you’re happy with the flavor and everything is boiling, turn off the heat and pour into your plates. As I mentioned, Sumai’yah tends to yield a big batch so maybe share a plate or two with your neighbors and loved ones. Leave the plates to cool then refrigerate. It is best served cold with a generous drizzle of olive oil.

And there you have it.. THE most traditional dish of Gaza.