Tuh'u
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.
Served with crusty bread and butter.
Ingredients for 2
- 300 g lamb leg meat, diced
- 2 ⅔ tbsp sesame oil, olive oil, or rendered fat
- 233 ml prepared water
- 233 ml sour-tasting beer (e.g. Weißbier)
- ⅔ large onion, chopped
- 1 ⅓ cups arugula, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 ⅓ tsp cumin seeds, crushed or powdered
- 1 ⅓ large beetroots, chopped
- ⅔ leek, minced or diced
- 2–6 cloves garlic, minced or diced
- ⅔ Persian shallot (Akkadian: samidu; uncertain translation)
- ⅔ Egyptian leek (Akkadian: suhutinnu; uncertain translation)
- Coriander seeds for garnish
- Salt, to taste
Side: Crusty bread and butter
- ½ baguette
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
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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.
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Add onions and cook for 5 minutes
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Add beetroots and let cook for 5 minutes.
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Add salt, water, beer, arugula, cilantro, shallot, and cumin. Bring to a boil.
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Mix garlic with leek and Egyptian leek, and add the mixture to the pot.
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Lower heat to medium and let simmer for 60 minutes, or until the beetroot and meat are cooked to your liking.
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About 8 minutes before serving, warm the baguette in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes, then slice it and set out the butter.
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Once the tuh'u has finished cooking, serve in a bowl. Sprinkle with coriander seeds. Garnish with chopped cilantro and chopped Egyptian leek.