Bedouin Lamb Rice is rustic Arabic dish cooked in meat broth flavoured with whole spices and dried lime. Garnished with fried pine nuts and raisins.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern, Saudi
Servings: 3people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For lamb stock
2tablespoonsghee
2dried black limeaka loomi.
4 cinnamon stick
6green cardamom
4cloves
850gramsmutton or lamb(with or without bones) chopped to bite sizes, washed and drained
Salt to taste
4cupshot water
For Bedouin rice
2cupsbasmati ricewashed and soaked for 30 minutes and drained
salt to taste
For Garnish
3tablespoonspine nuts
3tablespoonsraisins
Fresh coriander leaveschopped
For Daqoos or Salata Hara
2tomatoespeeled and chopped
Fresh coriander leaves
1garlic clove crushed and chopped finely
2green chillies
lemon juice to taste
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Fry the garnish items
Heat ghee in a deep pot or deep pressure cooker on low to medium flame.
Add the pine nuts and fry until golden brown, remove and keep aside.
Add the raisins and fry until puffed, remove and keep aside.
Cook the meat
Heat more ghee if required. Add all of the whole spices and roast on medium flame until fragrant.
Add the washed and drained meat pieces and brown them with salt on high heat.
Cook the meat uncovered on high heat stirring occasionally until you don't see any moisture.
Add hot water and cover the pot or the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook on a medium flame for 5 to 6 whistles and let the pressure cool on its own. Check the doneness of the meat and cook further if required. Pot cooking may take more time so cook until the meat is done.
Prepare Salata Hara
Blend the ingredients together in a blender just enough to break down the tomatoes but not too smooth. Adjust the salt and lime juice.
Cook rice
Open the pressure cooker or pot, stir in the drained rice and add more hot water only if required. (the best way to determine is to make sure there is at least an inch of water above the rice.) and bring this to a full boil on high heat. Boil on high until the rice comes to the surface.
Reduce the flame to low and cover the pot/pressure with a tight lid. (don't need to put the weight on the pressure cooker).
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and switch off. Do not be tempted to open it. Let it sit for 8 to 10 minutes unopened so that the rice steam cooks.
Serve
Open and fluff the rice and then transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fried nuts, raisins and fresh coriander. Serve hot with prepared Dugous or Salata haraa.
Notes
You may place a heat diffuser pan between the pot and flame - to prevent burning and even heat distribution.
You may increase the rice quantity to up to 4 cups. I have used 2 cups for 850gms of meat because we like to eat less rice and more meat.