Fahsa
Non-vegetarian
فحسة · faḥsa
Tender shredded lamb cooked in its spiced broth until bubbling in a very hot pot, then crowned with frothy whipped fenugreek (hilbeh) and eaten with flatbread.
Fahsa is a Yemeni stew, ready in about 2 hours 10 minutes and made with lamb shoulder and fenugreek. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 50 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 618
Plus at least 2 hours soaking the fenugreek.
Ingredients
Hilbeh
To serve
Method
Step 1
Cover the ground fenugreek (opens in a new tab) with plenty of water and leave to soak for at least 2 hours, then pour off the bitter water.
- 2 min
Step 2
Put the lamb, onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab), chilli, spices, salt and water in a heavy pot. Bring to the boil, skim, cover and simmer until the meat is very tender.
- 90 min
- low heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels Step 3
Make the hilbeh: blend the cilantro (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), chilli, lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and salt with the cold water, then whisk in the drained fenugreek (opens in a new tab), beating hard until pale, frothy and doubled in volume.
Step 4
Lift out the meat and shred it. Heat a heavy pan or cast-iron dish until very hot, add the meat with a ladle or two of broth and cook until the liquid is bubbling furiously and reduced to a thick sauce.
- 10 min
- high heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
Step 5
Spoon the hilbeh on top while it is still bubbling and serve immediately with flatbread for scooping, and the remaining broth on the side.
- 2 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Sana'a, Yemen · Commonly attributedA lunchtime classic of Sana'a, traditionally cooked and served in a stone pot (madara).More food from Yemen
- Dish
- Lunch · Stews & braises · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Stewed, Whipped
- Taste
- savoury, bitter, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced
- Diet
- Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-proteinWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein - Good for
- One-pot
- Cook more with
- Lamb shoulder · Fenugreek · Onion · Garlic · Tomato · Green chilli
- Techniques
- Boiling · Simmering · Stewing · Reduction · Emulsification
Allergens
- Contains: Wheatfrom pita bread
- Contains: Glutenfrom pita bread
- May contain: Sesamefrom pita bread
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
618 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 588 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 20%
- Carbohydrate 28%
- Fat 52%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 618 kcal | 105 kcal |
| Protein | 31.8 g | 5.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.3 g | 7.4 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 39.4 g | 6.7 g |
| Sugars | 3.9 g | 0.7 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 3.9 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 35.7 g | 6.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 15 g | 2.5 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 90 mg | 15 mg |
| Sodium | 1452 mg | 247 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 3.6 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 740 mg
- Calcium
- 132 mg
- Iron
- 5.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 69 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 57 µg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.8 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- —
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Soaking and draining the fenugreek removes much of its bitterness.
Common mistakes
- Not beating the hilbeh long enough — it should be a light, airy froth, not a paste.
Serve with
- With a cup of broth (maraq) on the side and plenty of flatbread.
Food safety
- Simmer the lamb until very tender and bring the final dish to a furious boil before serving.
- Cool leftover meat and broth quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until boiling.
Storage
- The meat and broth keep 3 days in the fridge; hilbeh keeps 2 days.
Reheating
- Reheat the meat with broth in a very hot pan as in the final step.
Variations
- Saltah: The related Yemeni national dish adds vegetables, eggs or rice to the bubbling base before topping with hilbeh.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks600 g
- Tomato, chopped2 piece · 240 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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