Yakhni

This stew is a traditional Stamekian dish that's considered a staple for the desert nomads. This stew is typically served at the end of the day to the whole tribe.

Execution

The ingredients for the dish are simple. It involves meat, onions, garlic, olive oil, varying spices, milk and blood.
Traditionally, the meat will be that of a goat, often a billy goat or an old nanny goat, but any meat can be used. Some variants cite beef or rabbit, whilst single servings are known to make use of various birds, lizards and snakes. Whilst the nomads are generally surrounded by camels, they are never used for food as they consider the animal sacred. The blood used is also sourced from the same animal as the meat if at all possible, this is because the nomads believe that consuming the lifeblood of an animal they've slaughtered shows respect for the life it lost to them.
If the dish is to be served to many, the meat is cut into cubes, otherwise, it can be left whole. The meat is then combined with the garlic and onions, then sautéed in olive oil until everything softens and the meat is slightly browned. The camel milk, blood, salt and spices are then added and cooked until the meat becomes tender.
The stew is then served with a simple unleavened bread consisting of flour, water and salt. Traditionally, the liquid is poured over the bread, leaving the meat to be eaten separately.

Components and tools

Apart from the bowls used to hold the milk and blood, this dish requires very little in the way of utensils.
It is usually prepared in a single round-bottomed pan that sits directly atop a fire or a thermal vent. Because the nomads are all spellsters, they might occasionally use their magic to heat the pan, but this is considered ill-advised as the Stamekians see it as a wasteful use of energy in the pursuit of fuel.
The bread is baked in the sand. This takes creating a fire and burning it down to charcoal, whilst also ensuring the sand beneath is hot. After this, a hollow is created in the sand and charcoal mix wherein the dough is slapped into the middle and encased by the mixture to let the residual heat cook it on one side before the bread is uncovered and the process is repeated on the other side. The cooked bread is then cleaned and is ready to eat.

Type

Stew

Primary Related Location

Stamekia

Related Ethnicities

• Stamekian