The northern Chadian/Sahara mutton stew reflects the herding tradition of the country's north (Toubou, Goran, Beri populations). Slow cooking is essential for tougher mutton cuts.
Spoon up Chadian mutton stew — tender lamb in dark amber-brown sauce, vegetables soft, cumin-coriander aromatics rising. Bite: lamb falls apart, deeply savory from long simmer; the spice blend (paprika-cumin-coriander) is the Sahelian signature, tomato providing acidity. Over boule, this is the northern Chad pastoralist celebration meal.
Long simmering tenderizes mutton's tougher cuts. The cumin-coriander spice base is the Sahelian/North African signature, distinct from Sub-Saharan piri-piri-and-tomato traditions.
Variations
With beef. With goat. With added prunes (Moroccan-influenced). With added almonds. With ras el hanout. With more chili.
On the Palate
Where Tagine de Mouton Chad sits in the Chadian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
9 steps · 40 min active + 1 hour 20 min waiting
- 14 min
Cut 1 kg lamb shoulder into 4-cm cubes. Season with salt, pepper.
- 212 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil in heavy pot. Brown lamb in batches; remove.
Watch outGet a deep brown crust on the lamb before it goes back in — crowd the pot and it steams grey, losing the roasted base of the sauce.
- 39 min
Sauté 2 sliced onions 6 min. Add 4 minced garlic, 1 thumb grated ginger; cook 1 min.
- 46 min
Add 4 chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander; cook 5 min.
- 53 min
Return lamb. Add 800 ml stock, 4 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme.
- 676 min
Cover; simmer 75 min until lamb is fork-tender.
Watch outHold a bare, lazy simmer under the lid until a fork twists the meat apart with no resistance — rush it hot and the mutton stays tough and stringy.
- 726 min
Add 300 g cubed potato, 200 g sliced carrot in last 25 min.
- 81 min
Stir in 2 tbsp chopped parsley.
- 91 min
Serve hot with boule or rice.
