Bowl of ruby-red pomegranate lamb stew with tender meat pieces and fresh mint leaves scattered on top

Abbasid Caliphate · Iraq

Rummaniyya (Pomegranate Meat Stew)

Name: Rummaniyya (Pomegranate Meat Stew)
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Iraq
Ingredients: 800g lamb shoulder, cubed; 500ml pomegranate juice; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tbsp mint leaves; 3 tbsp olive oil; Pomegranate seeds to garnish

From Kitab al-Tabikh · Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq · 950

Verified from original source

A jewelled lamb stew from the Baghdad court — sweet-tart pomegranate juice braised with tender meat and warm spices.

History

Rummaniyya is a medieval Arab meat stew flavored with pomegranate juice, documented in Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's 10th-century Kitab al-Tabikh, the earliest known Arabic cookbook. Originating in Abbasid-era Baghdad, this dish exemplified the sophisticated sweet-sour flavor profiles favored by the caliphal court and wealthy urbanites. Pomegranate sauce served both as a souring agent and status symbol, as the fruit was prized in Islamic culinary culture. The dish combined lamb or chicken with pomegranate juice, sometimes thickened with ground walnuts or breadcrumbs, and spiced with coriander, cinnamon, and other aromatics. Rummaniyya influenced later medieval Arabic and Persian cookery; variations appear in Egyptian and Levantine cuisines today.

Sources

Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, Kitab al-Tabikh (Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchen), c. 950, translated by Nawal Nasrallah (2007)
Charles Perry, 'Cooking with the Caliphs' in Medieval Arab Cookery (2001)
Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens: Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq's Tenth-Century Baghdadi Cookbook (2007)
Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food (1968, revised editions)
Maxime Rodinson, A.J. Arberry, Charles Perry, Medieval Arab Cookery (2001)

Serves

Prep

20m

Cook

110m

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

· 800g lamb shoulder, cubed
· 500ml pomegranate juice
· 1 large onion, finely chopped
· 3 cloves garlic
· 1 tsp ground cinnamon
· 1 tsp ground coriander
· 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
· 1 tbsp mint leaves
· 3 tbsp olive oil
· Pomegranate seeds to garnish

Method

1
Brown the lamb in olive oil over high heat. Set aside.
2
Sauté onion and garlic until soft.
3
Return lamb to pan, add pomegranate juice, spices and a good pinch of salt.
4
Simmer covered for 1.5 hours until tender.
5
Uncover and reduce sauce for 15 minutes until thick.
6
Scatter with pomegranate seeds and mint. Serve with rice.

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