Entree: South Sudan – Southern Culinary Region – Mullah (Hearty South Sudanese okra and meat stew often enriched with ground peanuts and served with sorghum or rice)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 20 min

Additional 5 min

Total 1 hr 40 min

Ingredients

- 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
- 1.5 lb (680 g) stewing beef or goat, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
- 2 large onions, about 10 oz (280 g), chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 2 cups (480 ml) diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1 lb (450 g) okra, trimmed and halved
- 1/2 cup (125 g) smooth peanut butter or ground peanuts
- 4 cups (960 ml) water or beef stock
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice or tamarind concentrate
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) chili flakes or to taste (optional)
- 2 tsp (10 g) salt, adjust to taste
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro or green onion for garnish
- 3 cups (600 g) cooked sorghum, millet, or rice for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the stewing beef in batches until well seared on all sides, transferring browned pieces to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onions and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 6–8 minutes; add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and diced tomatoes, cook 3–4 minutes to combine and slightly reduce.
4. Return the browned meat to the pot, add the water or stock, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili flakes if using, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 45–60 minutes until meat is tender.
5. Whisk the peanut butter with a little warm cooking liquid until smooth, then stir into the stew to thicken and enrich the sauce; simmer 5 minutes to integrate.
6. Add the trimmed halved okra and lemon juice or tamarind, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes until okra is tender and the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened; taste and adjust salt and pepper.
7. Remove from heat, let rest 5 minutes for flavors to meld, then garnish with chopped cilantro or green onion.
8. Serve hot spooned over cooked sorghum, millet, or rice, ensuring each portion has generous sauce and meat.