Beef and Potato Soup (Yemeni Marak Temani)

Marak temani is a traditional Yemenite soup which owes its flavour and spiciness to a spice blend typical of this country called hawaij. Although marak temani is 100% Yemenite, it was made famous by Yemenite Jews who have made it an institution in Israel. Yemenite Jews used to serve this spicy soup on Friday night for Shabbat dinner. Marak temani has two main versions, one with chicken and one with beef. The beef version, richer, is the one that has been popularized in Israel. In Yemen, the less wealthy Jewish families used chicken, which was cheaper.

Hawaij:
5 Tbsp. coriander seeds
5 Tbsp. cumin seeds
4 Tbsp. black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. cardamom seeds
1 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. ground turmeric

Hilbeh or Hulba:
8 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds
4 cups water
1 tomato
4 cloves garlic
½ lemon, freshly juiced
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. s'hug (optional)

Marak Temani:
2 lb stewing beef, cubed
3 Tbsp. hawaij
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 marrow bone
4 tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, tied into a "bouquet garni"
2½ qts beef broth
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Garnish:
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

For the Marak Temani:
Place meat at the bottom of a large pot or a Dutch oven. Sprinkle the meat with hawaij. Brown meat over medium heat, stirring often, until the meat is evenly browned and seasoned on all sides. Turn off the heat, transfer the meat in a bowl and set aside.

Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan for 5-6 minutes. Add the meat and the bone marrow into the pot.

Make three deep incisions in the tomatoes (while keeping them whole) so that they can release their flavour in the broth. Add the tomatoes and cilantro into the pot. Cover the ingredients with 2-3 qts (2-3 L) of broth until the ingredients are almost fully covered.

Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Add potatoes to the broth. Simmer for another 30-45 minutes until the broth thickens and the meat is tender.

Before serving, remove the tomatoes, marrow bone and cilantro. Serve in individual bowls. Garnish each bowl with chopped fresh cilantro.

For the Hawaij:
Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, cardamom and cloves) in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Once the spices have cooled, grind them until getting a powder. Stir in nutmeg and turmeric. This spice blend can be made in advance and kept in a jar or plastic bag.

For the Hilbeh:
Put fenugreek seeds in a deep bowl. Cover with 4 cups (1 L) of water. Let stand overnight or at least 4-5 hours. The fenugreek seeds will absorb a lot of water and swell considerably. The next day, get rid of the soaking water as it is bitter.

Grind the fenugreek seeds for 1-2 minutes in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and blend until reaching a homogeneous texture.

Makes 8 servings.