Qabili Palau

(Seasoned rice w/ carrots and raisins)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 4 C long-grain raise (basmati)

  • 2 onions (chopped)

  • 1 kg lamb (preferably boneless shank-side of leg or boneless shoulder cut into 3-4” pieces)

  • or chicken thigh, all skinless half with bone-in half boneless.

  • 2 large carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into 3-4 matchsticks

  • 100g black seedless raisins

  • ¼ C almond or pistachio slices (optional)

  • 6 T chahar masala (1 part cumin, 1 part coriander, 1 part ground clove, ½ part cinnamon) 

  • ½ t saffron (optional)

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Vegetable oil (preferably canola / rape seed)

Preparation:

  1. Wash rice 4-5 times using mesh sieve and bowl so the water runs limpid. You can use your hand and fist to rub into the rice to clean the starch off.

  2. Soak rice in mesh and bowl for 30m.

  3. In meantime pour 4 Ts of vegetable oil in large skillet / frying pan and heat to medium-high heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and saute, stirring occasionally until they start to turn golden brown. Remove most of onions from pan and set aside. 

  4. Add 2 T of oil to same pan. Distribute lamb / chicken pieces evenly in same pan, salt exposed side, and brown all sides for 10-12m (3-4m / side), lightly salting exposed sides as you turn lamb / chicken over. [Note: You want for chicken pieces to be sufficiently browned, so continue to turn and saute as needed]

  5. After sufficiently browned add 2-3 C water, cooked onions, and 3 T chahar masala to pan so that meat pieces are largely submerged. Turn heat to medium and allow broth to boil down, 15-20m.

  6. Remove lamb / chicken from broth and set aside. Use submersion blender to grind onion solids into broth. This mixture is called the luwab. Measure out 2-3 C of luwab and set aside. 

  7. Heat 1 T vegetable oil in skillet over low-medium heat, saute carrot pieces and add some salt until start to brown, add 1-2 T of water if necessary to help cooking process.

  8. Remove carrots from skillet when still hard but showing some pliancy and set aside. 

  9. Add raisins to same skillet and allow to warm, soften, and expand. Remove from heat and set aside with carrots.

  10. Preheat oven to 300F / 150C.

  11. Bring 6 C of water to a boil in a pot, add 1 T of salt and allow to dissolve. Add drained rice and parboil for 2-3m. Drain and place rice back in pot. Sprinkle rice with 2 T of chahar masala and mix. Add 2 C of meat broth to rice and mix in with spoon so rice coasted sufficiently with luwab and chahar masala. Place cooked lamb / chicken on top of rice to one side of pot and push in so lamb / meat sufficiently embedded in rice.

  12. Cover pot tightly with lid and put in preheated oven for 35” (or on top of stove at low heat for same time). After 35” remove lid and lay carrots and raisins on top of rice opposite lamb / chicken. Cover and place back into oven or on stovetop for an additional 15m.

  13. Remove pot from oven, lay carrot and raisins and lamb / chicken pieces aside.

  14. Take a quarter of the rice and lay flat on large serving plate / tray. Place lamb / chicken pieces on bed of rice and cover meat with the rest of the rice, creating a mound. Sprinkle top of rice with some chahar masala (~1/2-1 T) and garnish the top of the rice pile with the carrots, raisins, and almonds / pistachios (if using).

  15. Enjoy!