It’s a meal in a pan – one grand main dish, no sides needed. Feeds a crowd and can be served in a pan, makes a great centerpiece.
Ingredients:
- Lamb ~ 1-1.5 lbs
- 1 big yellow onion
- Carrots – 1-1.5 lbs
- Rice parboiled is better, but jasmine or baldo rice will work: 2.5 – 3 cups. It is shorter grain than basmati and cooks longer.
- Head of garlic (at least, 2 is better)
- Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chili pepper, thyme
Directions:
- Cut lamb into half inch pieces, remove extra fat, but keep some.
- Finely chop onion
- Carrots have to be cut, not grated to retain it’s juice. I used food processor this time, but regretted it.
- Use big heavy pan (dutch oven is the best). Pour 2-3 tbsp light olive oil into the pan.
- Start frying onions. If you have extra time it’s better to start with frying your meat, getting it seared, then removing from a pan and then fry onions. But to make it simpler…
- When onion is golden brown add meat, mix to combine and keep frying on high heat to get it seared, stirring occasionally. Spice your meat.
- When meat is seared and browned (it should actually be cooked, pieces are small) add carrots, mix with meat and onion, keep frying all together for 3-5 minutes.
- Rinse rice with cold water, add to the pan, mix with onion and vegetables
- Pour cold water over rice, bring it to a boil on high heat, check the sauce for salt and spices and adjust as needed.
- Reduce the heat to very low, cover your pan with the lid.
- In about 5-7 minutes when rice absorbs water place full head of garlic (or two) inside the rice.
- In about 10 minutes start checking rice for being cooked. Turn the heat off when rice is fully cooked.
