Sudanese Gheema or Macorona (Minced Beef & Pasta)

lunchdinnermain

5 Mar

Written By Akech

This is a Sudanese minced beef and pasta dish known as gheema or macorona. It is warm, delicious, healthy and packed with so much flavour. It is an easy comfort food made within the comfort of your own home. It is perfect for meal prep and its simplicity means it can be prepared by anyone with little effort. Growing up, it was mostly prepared during special occasions or when we had visitors. However, it is now one of our regular meals as it is a family favourite.

Gheema is versatile and easily customisable to your liking. This my mother's recipe with a few alterations. The steps are largely the same, though I like playing around with different herbs and spices every time I cook it to keep things interesting since we eat this quite often. I am using minced beef, however, it works just as well with minced lamb.

Ingredients for Gheema/Macorona

Minced beef - I mostly use regular beef mince because the flavour is better. However, feel free to choose lean beef mince for a healthier alternative. You can also use minced lamb, chicken or turkey as alternatives.

Onion and garlic paste - These are aromatic flavour boosters, thus making them an essential flavour base. I am using store bought garlic paste since I run out of my homemade one. Freshly crushed garlic cloves will give you better flavour.
Pasta - I used spiral shaped pasta but you can use any shape of your choice. I alternate between spiral, penne, elbow, curly and bowtie.
Pasta sauce - Pasta sauce enhances the flavour, moisture and texture of the minced beef sauce and helps bind the sauce and the pasta together. Use any pasta sauce of your choice.
Cooking oil - I use canola oil, however, you can use any oil of your choice.
Herbs and spices - I use a cinnamon stick, black pepper, cumin powder, coriander powders and store bought mixed herbs. They add flavour to the pasta dish. I love the flavour of cinnamon. Whole cinnamon sticks give your food a sweet and woody flavour, with a faint aroma. Avoid using cinnamon powder because its flavour is very strong and may ruin the entire dish. However, if you use cinnamon powder, ensure you use with caution and use just a little bit.
Vegeta - Vegeta vegetable stock powder is my choice of seasoning. You can also use your preferred seasoning - for example chicken or beef stock cubes/powder.
Salt - Adjust to taste. It is advisable to add salt in little increments while tasting to avoid over-salting the food. Please keep in mind that the vegeta seasoning also contains salt.

Instructions

1. Preparing the Ingredients

Chop the onions and prepare the rest of the ingredients. Either measure the correct amounts or have the spice jars within reach for easier access when cooking.

2. Cooking the Minced Beef Sauce

I heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onions for 1-2 minutes or until translucent.

Add the minced beef and stir while breaking it up until the meat is well browned and it’s no longer lumpy. This takes roughly 4-5 minutes.

Add the spices and seasonings (black pepper, coriander powder, vegeta, mixed herbs, cinnamon stick), garlic paste and a jar of pasta sauce (use your choice of pasta sauce). Leave out the cumin powder and salt which will be added towards the end.

Add about a cup of water in the jar to rinse out excess sauce. Add it to the pot, mix to combine and cook this for 15 minutes.

Adjust salt and seasoning to taste, add cumin powder, mix to combine & simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Then, set this aside ready to incorporate into the pasta.

3. Cooking the Pasta

Once the minced beef is ready, I place a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil on high heat.
Add a tablespoon of cooking oil and salt to taste ( 1 tablespoon depending on the amount of pasta you’re cooking).
I’m using canola oil but use any oil you prefer. Add the pasta into the boiling water and cook it according to packet instructions.
Don’t hesitate to cook the pasta to your liking, adjust the cooking time according to your liking.

4. Bringing it All Together

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, add the minced beef sauce to the pasta and gently mix the two until everything is well combined.

5. Serving the Gheema/Macorona

Serve this as it is or topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional). Garnish with freshly chopped chives, coriander, basil or parsley.

Video: Sudanese Gheema or Macorona

Storing the Gheema

Storage - Store any leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat - Sprinkle a little water on the gheema and heat in the microwave. This adds a little moisture to the pasta, preventing it from drying out.
Freeze - The sauce freezes well. I recommend you freeze the sauce separately and boil your choice of pasta when you are ready to eat.

Notes

You can customise this recipe to your liking:

Protein - Instead of minced beef, you can also cook this with minced lamb, chicken or turkey.
Pasta - I'm using spiral shaped pasta, however, you can use any pasta of your choice (for example, penne, elbow, or spaghetti).
Herbs and spices - Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices. Add and/or remove any spices according to your liking.

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Akech

Sudanese Gheema or Macorona (Minced Beef & Pasta)

Ingredients for Gheema/Macorona