Arabian (Camel) Stew

2 tablespoons ghee
1 large onion, diced
1 kg camel, goat, lamb, venison or beef cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cinnamon stick
10-12 dates whole
pinch saffron
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup baby carrots
1 can chickpeas

Spice Mixture
1 teaspoon black lemon powder (a Saudi Arabian spice, which is actually a powder of dried limes) 2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper to taste

Melt the ghee in a large saucepan or ideally a tagine over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes..

While the onion is cooking, in a large bowl, toss the camel in the black lemon powder and salt until well-coated.

Add the remaining spices to the onion and cook for one minute until aromatic.

Add the camel and garlic to the saucepan with the onions; increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until the camel is browned (do this step quickly– if it overcooks it will be tough).

Stir the tomatoes, cinnamon stick, dates, saffron, and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the cover, add the chickpeas and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and the meat becomes fork tender, about another half hour. (At this point, the stew can be refrigerated and reheated later.)

Divide the stew between bowls and top with rocket and roasted beetroot cubes. For a more hearty meal, serve with rice.