Mauritania | Main dish

Maru We Llham

Mauritanian meat, rice, and vegetable pot scented with mustard, onion, bay, pepper, and broth.

Country
Mauritania
Region
West Africa
Time
100 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for shared platters, family lunch, and one-pot rice meals.. Plan on a medium cook and about 100 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Green salad, chili sauce, or Mauritanian mint tea after the meal.

Regional lane

Mauritania national table. A structured Mauritania dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
  • Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
How you know it is ready
  • The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

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Maru We Llham recipe from Mauritania
Maru We Llham finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Maru We Llham

Green salad, chili sauce, or Mauritanian mint tea after the meal.

Best route from here

Mauritania national table

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Servings 6

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How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Mauritania
4 steps 25 min prep 75 min cook 100 min total medium
1
Brown meat
Brown meat with onion and garlic in oil or butter.
brown 12:00
2
Braise
Add mustard, bay, vegetables, salt, pepper, and stock. Simmer until meat is nearly tender.
braise 35:00
3
Cook rice
Stir in rice, cover, and cook on low until grains absorb the broth.
rice 22:00
4
Rest
Rest covered, then fluff gently and serve from a shared platter.
rest 08:00

Chicken, lamb, goat, or beef may be used; vegetables can include cassava, cabbage, carrot, or eggplant.

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