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Suqaar (Spiced Diced Beef or Goat Sauté)
Finely cubed beef flash-sautéed with fragrant hawash spices, garlic, and crisp bell peppers for an intensely savoury bite.
The story
Ubiquitous from bustling Mogadishu eateries to pastoral settlements across the interior, suqaar is served alongside fragrant bariis iskukaris or fresh canjeero for lunch. The defining culinary technique is the diminutive knife-cut—meat diced smaller than a centimetre—ensuring rapid caramelisation without losing moisture. The aromatic heart of the dish is Xawaash, the master spice blend of toasted cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon that traces centuries of Indian Ocean spice trade.
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