1
Brown the lamb
Season lamb with salt and black pepper. Brown it in hot oil until the edges take color.
Brown
10:00
Djibouti | Main dish
Skoudehkaris
Djibouti's national dish — spiced rice with lamb, caramelized onions, cardamom, and cumin, a one-pot feast.
Country
Djibouti
Region
East Africa
Time
80 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Skoudehkaris should smell like the port cities of the Horn: lamb, rice, tomato, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and a little chile all settling into one pot.
What the dish tastes like
Djibouti's national dish — spiced rice with lamb, caramelized onions, cardamom, and cumin, a one-pot feast.
When to cook it
Best for everyday meals, with a medium cooking level and about 80 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Banana, salad, yogurt, or chile sauce
Follow the collection
One-Pot Wonders is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. One-Pot Wonders
Regional lane
Djibouti national table. A verified Djibouti 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
See the dish before you cook
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Chef board
Build the table around Skoudehkaris
Banana, salad, yogurt, or chile sauce
Best route from here
Djibouti national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
5 steps
80 min total
medium
2
Cook the tomato base
Add onions and cook until soft. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and chile.
Tomato base
12:00
3
Simmer the meat
Add water or stock, cover, and simmer until the lamb is almost tender.
Simmer
30:00
4
Steam the rice
Add drained rice to the pot. Cover tightly and cook on low until the rice absorbs the broth.
Rice
20:00
5
Rest and finish
Rest covered, fluff gently, scatter cilantro over the top, and serve with banana or salad.
Rest
10:00
Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.