Skoudehkaris

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Coming from one of the world's smallest and least populated countries, Djibouti, a former French colony located between Ethiopia and Somalia, skoudehkaris is a flavourful rice dish seasoned with cardamom and cooked with lamb, although lamb can sometimes be substituted by chicken, beef, or fish. This thick, spicy stew is additionally enriched with cumin, cloves, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and tomatoes, evolving into a warm and hearty comfort food dish. The spices and herbs are cooked with onions until soft, lamb is browned, then tomatoes and water are added to the pot. When the meat gets tender, rice is added to the pot to slowly simmer for about 20 more minutes. In the end, fragrant spices fill the air, and the meat melts in the mouth. All it needs is a bit of traditional lahoh flatbread on the side, some chopped coriander on top, and Djibouti's national dish is ready to be consumed.