المقادير
Method
- Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, and toast the almonds for 2–3 minutes until golden, then lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a plate.
- Add the carrot sticks to the same oil and stir them for 5 minutes over medium heat until slightly softened and glossy, then set them aside.
- Raise the heat to high and add the meat in two batches, letting each batch brown on all sides for 4–5 minutes (about 10 minutes for both batches).
- Lower the heat to medium, return all the meat to the pot, add the onions and stir for 8 minutes until wilted and a deep golden color, scraping up whatever sticks to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon so it doesn't burn. This browning is what gives the broth and rice their golden color without tomato paste.
- Add the cumin, coriander, mixed spices and black pepper, and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in 6 cups (1.5 liters) of hot water, add the cardamom, bay leaves and salt, and let it boil over high heat for about 5 minutes, skimming the foam off the surface.
- Lower the heat to low, cover the pot and let the lamb cook for 60–75 minutes until tender and easily pulled apart with a fork. Veal needs about 90 minutes, making the total cooking time about 160 minutes instead of 130–150 minutes. Whole cuts of meat are safe from 63°C inside, and slow cooking goes well past that, so the real sign here is tenderness.
- Half an hour before the meat is done: wash the rice in water several times until the water runs clear, then soak it in about 1 liter (4 cups) of lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Wash the black and golden raisins twice in cold water and drain them well.
- Drain the rice in a sieve and let it drip for at least 10 minutes so the soaking water doesn't get into the broth and throw off the balance.
- Lift the meat out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, then pour the broth through a sieve into a measuring jug or bowl, which catches the cardamom and bay leaves on its own. Measure the broth by the cup: you need exactly 4.5 cups (about 1.1 liters); if it's short, top it up with hot water, and if there's extra, keep the rest for another use. Taste for salt; the broth should be slightly salty.
- Return the measured broth to the pot and arrange the meat evenly over the bottom, then scatter the black and golden raisins over the meat and between the pieces, pressing them gently so they sink into the broth. Put them on top of the meat, not on the bare bottom of the pot, so they don't stick.
- Spread the drained rice evenly over the meat and raisins without stirring.
- Arrange the carrots over the rice, bury the head of garlic in the center, and place the two chili peppers beside it.
- Make sure the broth just barely covers the rice, and let it boil hard over high heat until the liquid drops below the surface of the rice and small holes appear on top; this usually takes 3–7 minutes depending on the pot and the strength of the heat. Don't lower the heat before the holes appear.
- Turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting whatever kind of pot you have (any higher and the raisins and meat will stick to the bottom and burn), cover the pot with a lid wrapped in a clean kitchen towel, and leave it for 25 minutes without opening; during this time the rice cooks and the raisins plump up in the broth with the meat, turning soft and glossy.
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes so the rice rests and fluffs up.
- Spoon the rice onto a large serving platter, then take the meat and raisins out from the bottom of the pot and arrange them on top of the rice, add the carrots and toasted almonds, and crown the dish with the head of garlic and the chili peppers. Serve hot.
ملاحظات
⚠️ Allergy note: contains Tree nuts (almonds), Dairy (traditional ghee, optional), Possible sulfites (golden raisins)
The rice's golden color comes from browning the meat and onions well, so don't rush this stage; if the onions stay pale, the rice comes out dull.
Don't stir the rice once it's spread over the meat and raisins; stirring breaks the grains and makes the rice mushy.
Putting the raisins with the meat at the bottom lets them plump up in the broth and soak up the flavor of the meat. Scatter them over the pieces of meat, not on the bare bottom of the pot, keep the heat at its lowest during steaming with any pot, and if your pot has a thin bottom, put a heat diffuser under it.
The broth ratio matters most: 1.5 cups of broth for every cup of soaked and well-drained basmati rice, and if the rice is old, add a quarter cup more. The amount here is half a cup of raisins; if you use more, add 2 tablespoons of broth for every extra quarter cup of raisins.
The head of garlic comes out soft and sweet; mash it and eat it with the rice. If you want less heat, use just one chili pepper and don't pierce it. For anyone with a dairy allergy, use vegetable ghee or oil only.