Name: Cornish Hens/Poussins Simmered in Cumin Sauce (Dijaaj Cammouni)
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon ginger; 2 teaspoons cumin; ½ teaspoon turmeric; ½ cup (3 oz/85 g) pitted olives, whole or halved; 1 small onion, grated; 1 medium onion, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped; 3 or 4 cloves garlic, grated; 3 tablespoons olive oil; ½ cup (1 oz/30 g) parsley or fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped; ½ teaspoon chili pepper, or to taste; 1 carrot, diagonally sliced; 2 or 3 whole small chili peppers, optional; ½ teaspoon prepared noomi Basra; 1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup, or tamarind concentrate; 1 teaspoon thin strips of lemon rind; ½ cup (2½ oz/75 g) frozen or canned peas; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 medium potatoes (12 oz/340 g), cut into ⅓ in/8mm-thick slices; 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds; 3 or 4 cardamom pods; 2 Cornish hens/poussins; or 12 chicken drumsticks, skin on

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Delights from the Garden of Eden

By Nawal Nasrallah

Published 2019

About

An aromatic dish perfumed with a blend of spices, the most prominent of which is the ancient spice cumin. The distant ancestor of this dish is the medieval Baghdadi zirbaja, a delicate stew seasoned with cumin, made golden with saffron, lightly soured and sweetened with vinegar and honey, and enriched and thickened with crushed almonds and sometimes nasha (wheat starch). A whole chicken may be used, but Cornish hens are more appealing for festive formal presentations.