LAMB DISH FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Vegetables are not very common in the United Arab Emirates. So instead, they often use spices such as cloves, cardamom, and saffron to add flavor to the cuisine.
6-8 PORTIONS
INGREDIENTS
- 2¼ pounds (1 kg) lamb meat, with bone
- A bundle of fresh herbs
- 1 whole onion, peeled
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 2 cups (473 ml) ghee, oil, or butter
- 3 cups (450 g) finely chopped yellow onion
- ⅘ cup (160 g) chickpeas, cooked
- ⅘ cup (120 g) raisins, soaked
- 1 teaspoon ground dried limes (or grated lime peel)
- 0.02 ounce (½ g) saffron
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅕ cup (47 ml) rose and orange blossom water, mixed
- 4 cups rice, soaked and rinsed
- Salt
- ⅖ cup (57 g) roasted almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put the meat in a large pot of boiling water and salt. Skim off while the water is boiling until the liquid becomes clear.
- Add fresh herbs and a whole onion with cloves that have onion with cloves that have been put inside.
- Simmer over medium heat until the meat is tender. Lift out the meat, strain, and save the broth.
- Add about ⅖ cup of fat in a frying pan and allow it to melt (if you aren’t using oil) over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir while you brown it. Add a little bit of water and keep stirring until everything has a light brown color.
- Add a tablespoon of fat along with chickpeas, raisins, and dried lime. Stir over low heat, then turn off the heat. In the Gulf kitchen, this is called “the filling.”
- Mix the saffron and cardamom with the rose and orange blossom water and set aside.
- Rinse the rice twice. Place it in a pot and add enough broth to cover it, plus a little bit extra. Cook over low heat until the rice is ready.
- Meanwhile, brown the meat in the remaining fat, and set aside.
- Place the rice on a serving plate and pour the spice mixture with the rose and orange blossom water over orange blossom water over the rice. Spread the “filling” on top. Lastly, place the browned meat on top and garnish with almonds. Serve immediately.
