How to Make Qabawat (Stuffed Sheep Tripe) Authentically

Ingredients

• 3 small sheep tripe
• 3 cups Egyptian rice, washed and drained
• 1 kg finely minced lamb
• Half a cup ghee
• Half a teaspoon seven spices
• Half a teaspoon cinnamon
• Half a teaspoon salt
• Half a teaspoon black pepper
• Half a teaspoon ground cardamom
• For cleaning the tripe:
• 1 cup flour
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• For cooking:
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• Black pepper to taste
• Quarter teaspoon ground cardamom

Method

1. First, make sure to buy the qabawat or tripe cleaned by the butcher to make the home work easier... then begin the home cleaning process according to tradition.
2. Using a knife, clean the surface of the tripe and turn it inside out to scrape away the sticky fatty matter completely.
3. Repeat the process several times and wash between each pass until the qabawat are completely clean.
4. After scraping and washing with water, rub them well with flour and wash them again.
5. Then rub them with salt and lemon juice for a while.. before washing them thoroughly with water and draining them.
6. While waiting for the qabawat to drain well, prepare the stuffing... Mix the rice with the meat, spices, and samneh (ghee).
7. Stuff each tripe until it is three-quarters full only, without filling it completely to allow room for the rice to expand while cooking.
8. Sew the tripe with a needle and thick thread.. be sure to close them well.
9. Shake the tripe slightly so the stuffing does not clump in one place.
10. Using a fork, make a single hole in it only.. to ensure the stuffing cooks inside while boiling in water.
11. In a pot, place the qabawat and cover them with water mixed with salt, pepper, cardamom, and vinegar.
12. Put the pot on high heat until it boils.
13. When the water starts boiling, lower the heat and leave the pot on low heat for about an hour and a quarter or until the tripe is well cooked.
14. Serve the qabawat hot with yogurt, though some like to eat them with crushed garlic mixed with lemon juice.