Tab‰hajah

Eastern Islamic
from the manuscript of Yahya b. Khalid
Translated by Charles Perry from a 9-10th c. Islamic collection.
Miscellany


Take an earthenware pot and pour in one quarter ratl of 
Nabataean murri, and of good honey an žquiyah, and beat them. When they
 are mixed, strain with a sieve, then put with them a dirhem of 
coriander, one and a half dirhams of cinnamon and two d‰niqs of ground
pepper. Then take two ratls of tender meat and slice fine in wide 
strips and put them in this condiment for a while. Then put the 
pot on the fire and pour in four žquiyahs of good oil. And when the 
oil begins to boil, throw the strips in the pot with the condiment 
and two d‰niqs of milled salt. Then cook the meat until it is done and 
the condiment is dried. Then take it off the fire and cut up on it 
some cilantro, and rue, and some green mustard, and serve. And it 
[can be] a Tab‰hajah with asafoetida, if you wish.

Note on quantities: 1 ratl = 1 lb = 1 pint; 12 uqiya = 1 ratl; 
10 dirham = 1 uqiya; 6 danaq = 1
dirham  (information from Arberry's introduction to his translation of 
al-Bagdadi).

  1/4 c murri
    4 t honey
scant 1/2 t coriander
  5/8 t cinnamon
  1/8 t pepper
    1 lb trimmed lamb
  1/3 c olive oil
  1/8 t salt
2 1/2 T green coriander leaves = 1/5 oz
    1 T rue = 1/20 oz
    3 T mustard greens = 1/2 leaf
(asafoetida)

Beat murri and honey in a bowl, add spices and stir well.  
Cut meat into thin strips, removing most fat, mix into the 
marinade and let sit for an hour and a half.  Chop herbs, 
removing stems.  Heat oil in frying pan on high heat until a 
few bubbles start to come up, put in meat and marinade, and 
add salt.  Let come to a boil and turn down to medium/medium high
heat.  Cook, stirring, about 15 minutes, until sauce is 
mostly cooked down.  Remove from heat and serve with herbs on top.

The quantity above is half the original recipe; unusually, all 
quantities are specified in the original except for the herbs at 
the end.  The Islamic measures could be either weight or volume 
measures;  I have assumed volumes in calculating amounts.

Preparing Covered Tab‰hajiyya

[Tabahajiyya Maghmuma]

Andalusian p. A-43

Take a ratl and a half of meat and cut in slices as told earlier;
 pound a ratl of onion and take for this three dirhams' weight of 
caraway and one of pepper; put in the pot a layer of meat and 
another of onion until it is all used up and sprinkle flavorings 
between all the layers; then pour on a third of a ratl of vinegar 
and a quarter ratl of oil; put a lid on the pot and seal its top 
with paste (dough) and fry over a slow fire until done; then take 
from the fire and leave for a while, skim off the fat and serve. 
[note: 1 dirham ~ 1/8 ounce]

1 1/2 lb meat (lamb?)
    1 lb onion
  3/8 oz = 1 1/2 t caraway
  1/8 oz = 1 t pepper
  1/3 lb = 2/3 c vinegar
    4 oz = 1/2 c oil
           flour and water (for dough)
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