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Somali

Suqaar

Non-vegetarian

Small cubes of beef quickly cooked with onion, peppers and tomato and seasoned with xawaash, the warm Somali spice blend of cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon. Fast, fragrant and eaten at any meal.

Suqaar is a Somali main course from Somalia, ready in about 35 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak and cumin. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of a flavorful beef stir-fry with mixed vegetables in a white serving dish, perfect for dinner.
Photo: Audy of Course / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
324

Ingredients

4 servings

Xawaash spices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until soft. Add the beef and garlic (opens in a new tab) and cook over high heat until browned.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the spices and salt and stir for a minute until fragrant.

    • 1 min
    • medium-high heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the peppers (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and tomato (opens in a new tab), cover and cook until the beef is tender and the vegetables just soft, adding a splash of water if needed.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the cilantro (opens in a new tab) and chilli and serve with lime (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Somalia · Well documentedMore food from Somalia
    Dish
    Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Sautéed, Stir-fried
    Taste
    aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, peppery
    Diet
    No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    One-pan · Everyday · Meal-prep friendly
    Cook more with
    Beef sirloin steak · Cumin · Onion · Garlic · Green bell pepper · Red bell pepper
    Techniques
    Stir-frying · Sautéing

    Allergens

    None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

    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

    324 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 272 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 43%
    • Carbohydrate 10%
    • Fat 47%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy324 kcal119 kcal
    Protein34.6 g12.7 g
    Carbohydrate8.3 g3 g
    Net carbohydrate6 g2.2 g
    Sugars3.4 g1.2 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre2.3 g0.9 g
    Fat16.8 g6.2 g
    Saturated fat3.1 g1.1 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol90 mg33 mg
    Sodium674 mg248 mg
    Salt equivalent1.7 g0.6 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    774 mg
    Calcium
    71 mg
    Iron
    3.5 mg
    Magnesium
    52 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    50 µg
    Vitamin C
    51 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.2 µg
    Vitamin B12
    1.6 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    41 µg

    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.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: carrot, green chilli, lime.
    • “—” 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

    • Make a jar of xawaash by toasting and grinding whole cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper with a little turmeric.

    Common mistakes

    • Cutting the beef too large — suqaar is quick-cooked, so small cubes stay tender.

    Serve with

    • Serve with canjeero for breakfast, or with rice, pasta or chapati (sabaayad).

    Food safety

    • Cook beef cubes until browned through; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 3 days.

    Reheating

    • Reheat in a hot pan.

    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

    Used in steps 1, 3

    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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