Hamudh helu means “sour sweet” in Arabic. It is the Iraqi apricot stew my family makes, and this is that dish turned into short ribs, served over a potato and carrot mash.
There is no tomato in it and no added sugar. The sweetness is all apricot and raisin, which is why the sour comes first in the name. The medieval Baghdad version of this stew, mishmishiya, had no tomato either — they had not reached the region yet.
Ingredients
The Braise
- 2–3 lb beef short ribs
- 2 Tbsp avocado or other neutral oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6–7 cloves garlic
- 4 cups water, to start
The Spices
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- A pinch of saffron, bloomed
- 2 tsp salt, to start
- Black pepper
Sour and Sweet
- 1 cup dried apricots
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Potato & Carrot Mash
- 2 lb potatoes, peeled
- 1 lb carrots, peeled
- 4 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
The Short Ribs
- Brown the short ribs. In the neutral oil, in a large heavy pot, on both sides. Lift them out and spoon off most of the fat they gave up.
- Onion, then garlic. The onion into the same pot for about seven minutes, until it takes real color. Then the garlic.
- Water, then the ribs back in. Four cups of water to start, and the short ribs return to the pot.
- Spices. Turmeric, salt, cardamom and coriander.
- Lemon, then saffron. The lemon juice goes in, then the saffron you bloomed.
- Fruit and nuts last. Almonds, soaked chickpeas, raisins and apricots, all in together. Canned chickpeas work too — add those in the last half hour instead, or they go to mush.
- Into the oven. Covered, at 325°F, for 2 to 3 hours — until the meat gives way against a spoon.
Potato & Carrot Mash
- Boil them together. Potatoes and carrots cut to a similar size, into well-salted water, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
- Drain and dry them. Let the steam come off in the colander before anything else goes in, or the mash will be loose.
- Butter, cream, pepper. All in while they are still hot, then smooth it out with an immersion blender. A food processor overworks the starch and turns the potatoes gluey.
The sour comes first in the name for a reason — taste before you serve, and if it leans sweet, another squeeze of lemon brings it back.