How to make Shuwa for Eid

Energy Saturday 01/August/2020 20:57 PM
By: Times News Service

Muscat: Shuwa or Mashwi is one of the most popular foods during Eid in the Sultanate.

An Omani custom, Shuwa is also called Mashwi in the Wilayats of North Al Batinah and some regions of South Al Batinah Governorates.

The mix of spices used for the dish varies from person to person. The process of mixing spices is called Al Tabzeer. After this, the meat is added.

As the second step, the prepared meat is wrapped in banana or Shoo’a leaves to give a special flavour to the dish as well as to keep the meat from burning.

The third step is to place the wrapped meat in a bag made from the leaves of palm trees and then fill these bags with Banana or Shoo'a leaves to fill the gaps. Some people also wrap the meat in tin foil and then put it in the bag of palm leaves. The bag is then stitched using a thin rope made of palm fiber.

The fourth step is to place the bags in a hole filled with embers called Tanoor. The Tanoor has firewood which has burnt down till only embers are left. The fifth step is to close the Tanoor with a metal cover, and heap mud on the sides and top to make an airtight seal. This helps with heat and pressure to cook the meat.

After 12-24 hours, the tanoor is opened again and the meat is served with rice.