Tuh’u (Akkadian for possibly “beetroot”) is an ancient Mesopotamian spring festival dish, a lamb stew of sorts, extracted by historians at Yale Babylonian Collection from tablets from Babylonia, ca. 1740 BC.
- ⏲️ Prep time: 30 min
- 🍳 Cook time: 60-90 min
- 🍽️ Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 450 g of lamb leg meat, diced
- 4 tbsp of sesame oil, olive oil, or rendered fat
- 350 mL of prepared water
- 350 mL of sour-tasting beer (e.g. Weißbier)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cups of arugula, chopped
- ¾ cup of cilantro, chopped
- 2 tsp of cumin seeds, crushed or powdered
- 2 large beetroots, chopped
- 1 leek, minced or diced
- 3-9 cloves of garlic, minced or diced
- 1 Persian shallot (Akkadian: samidu; uncertain translation)
- 1 Egyptian leek (Akkadian: suhutinnu; uncertain translation)
- Coriander seeds for garnish
Directions
- Add oil/fat to a large pot (preferably iron) and set over high heat. Sear lamb for several minutes in the oil/fat until lightly browned.
- Add onions and cook for 5 minutes
- Add beetroots and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, water, beer, arugula, cilantro, shallot, and cumin. Bring to a boil.
- Mix garlic with leek and Egyptian leek, and add the mixture to the pot.
- Lower heat to medium and let simmer for 60 minutes, or until the beetroot and meat are cooked to your liking.
- Once the tuh’u has finished cooking, serve in a bowl. Sprinkle with coriander seeds. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped Egyptian leek.