A Sudanese stew in which the onion and tomato are browned down with the meat until they become a dark, thick sauce, served with gurassa or aseeda.
Dam'a is one of the beloved everyday Sudanese dishes, and its name describes its state when the sauce cooks down and droplets of oil separate on its surface like tears.
Its secret lies in patiently sautéing the onion until it darkens, then cooking the tomatoes down over low heat until they thicken and glisten, producing a rich sauce ladled with gurassa or aseeda in a warm home-cooked meal.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, add the chopped onion, and stir it patiently until it wilts completely and turns deep golden, for this is the basis of Dam'a's dark body.
Add the meat cubes to the onion and stir them until their color changes and their edges brown, then add the cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, and half the salt and stir until the spices become fragrant.
Add hot water to cover the meat, cover the pot, and leave it over low heat for about twenty minutes until it is nearly done and the water reduces.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and green pepper, stir, and let the mixture cook down over low heat until droplets of oil separate on the surface and the sauce thickens, and from this comes the name Dam'a (teardrop).
Add the crushed garlic and dried coriander and adjust the salt, and leave the pot for a few minutes until the flavors come together and the sauce becomes thick and glossy.
Take the pot off the heat and serve the Dam'a hot with gurassa, aseeda, or rice, ladling out plenty of its dark sauce with it.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Sudanese Meat Stew in Onion and Tomato Sauce (Damaa), and how to fix them:
Sauté the onion longer until it darkens, and let the tomatoes cook down for a longer time over low heat until they concentrate and darken.
Boil it longer in water before adding the tomatoes, for acidity slows the meat's tenderizing if added early.
Let them cook down longer until their acidity mellows, and a small pinch of sugar can be added to balance the taste.
Keep it in an airtight container for up to three days, and reheat it over low heat; its flavor deepens the next day.
Freeze it for up to a month in airtight containers, move it to the refrigerator before reheating, and add a splash of water if it has thickened more than needed.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| lamb | beef or chicken | same weight, 400 g | Chicken cooks faster, and the dish is then called chicken Dam'a. |
| green pepper | colored bell peppers | same weight, 60 g | Colored bell peppers give a light sweetness and a brighter color. |
| vegetable oil | clarified butter (ghee) | same volume, 30 ml | Ghee deepens the traditional flavor but raises the fat, so we use it in moderation. |
| Ingredient | 1/2 quantity | Quantity (base) | Double |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubed meat | 200 g | 400 g | 800 g |
| Onion | 150 g | 300 g | 600 g |
| Tomatoes | 150 g | 300 g | 600 g |
| Tomato paste | 20 g | 40 g | 80 g |
| Vegetable oil | 15 ml | 30 ml | 60 ml |
| Salt | 1.5 g | 3 g | 6 g |
Do not rush sautéing the onion, for the darker its color gets without burning, the darker and richer Dam'a's body becomes. And let the tomatoes cook down until the oil appears on the surface, for that is the sign the sauce is done.
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