Matt Xiaxiang
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Main dishesLamb kabsa
Posted: 18/01/2025Updated: 18/01/2025
A Middle Eastern rice dish. Tender lamb cooked with a fragrant blend of spices and basmati rice. Garnished with toasted almonds and raisins.
Serve with a simple Arabic salad, plain yogurt, and a spicy tomato sauce called dakoos.
Ingredients
Servings
Lamb
- 1 kilogram Bone-in lamb shoulder or leg, cut into medium pieces
- 2 medium Brown onions
- 3 Dried limes
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 3 Bay leaves
- 5 Cardamon pods
- 4 Whole cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cardamon
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground all spice
- 100 millilitres Passata
- 2 tablespoons Tomato purée
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1 litre Water
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
Rice
- 650 grams Basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 litre Reserved broth
Garnish
- 60 grams Slivered almonds
- 60 grams Raisins
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
Lamb
- Dice the onions and sauté in a large pot with vegetable oil over medium heat until soft and lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
- Add the lamb pieces to the pot and sear for a few minutes on each side until browned.
- Add the whole spices (dried limes, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and cloves) along with the ground spices (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cumin, all spice, black pepper, and salt). Cook for a few more minutes.
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the passata and water.
- Cook on medium heat for about 60 minutes, replenishing water as needed until the meat is very tender.
- Once the meat is soft, remove it from the broth and set it aside. Strain and reserve the broth to remove the whole spices and onions.
Rice
- While the meat is cooking, wash the basmati rice until the water runs clear.
- Layer the lamb at the bottom of the pot. Pour the strained broth over the meat, exactly 1 litre. If you don’t have enough broth, top it up with water.
- Add the rice to the pot. Place the pot over high heat until the broth is boiling.
- Cover with a lid then simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, turn off the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Rest for 5 minutes to allow excess vapour to evaporate.
Garnish
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat and toast the slivered almonds until lightly golden.
- Remove the almonds and toast the raisins in the same pan for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- Serve the rice in a large dish by layering the rice and meat, then garnish with almonds and raisins.
My notes
Cooking tips
- Searing the lamb: When searing the lamb, don’t overcrowd the pot. Sear the meat in batches if necessary. This step helps develop rich flavours by creating a nice brown crust on the meat.
- Rice to water ratio: It is very important to strain and measure your broth before you add the rice. Ensure you use a 1:1.5 ratio of water to rice. The right amount of water ensures that the rice absorbs enough moisture to cook fully. Too much water will result in mushy rice, while too little will leave the rice undercooked or potentially burn.
- Broth consistency: Too much passata or tomato purée will result in a thick broth. Thicker broths will result in a mushy exterior and hard interior.
- Layer the rice and meat correctly: Once the rice and strained broth are added to the pot, spread the rice evenly on top of the lamb. Don’t stir immediately, as you want the lamb to steam with the rice to infuse the flavours.
- Keep the lid tightly closed: To ensure the rice steams properly, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. You can even place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to absorb any moisture and prevent it from dripping back onto the rice.
- Let the rice rest: After cooking, allow the rice to rest for 10-15 minutes off the heat before fluffing it. This allows the grains to firm up and prevents them from becoming mushy.
Alternative ingredients
- Alternative cuts of lamb could include lamb shank or lamb leg, both of which work very well when slow-cooked. If you can't get a bone-in cut of meat, reduce the cooking time for the meat by half ensuring it is still tender. Separately adding lamb fat can replicate the flavour released by the bones.
- Lamb alternatives: bone-in chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks (will cook faster so adjust the cooking time), beef shank or brisket can work as a substitute (though they may need a longer cooking time to become tender), or goat (has a similar cooking time to lamb).
- Canned tomatoes or blended fresh tomatoes can be used instead of passata.
- To mimic dried limes, a little lemon juice can be used for acidity but won't have that smoky flavour.
Storage instructions
Allow to cool to room temperature before storing. If it’s too hot when placed in storage containers, it can lead to moisture buildup and make the dish soggy. If you have leftover broth, you can store that separately and add it when reheating to keep the meat moist.
- Refrigeration: Store the lamb kabsa in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container. It will last up to 3 months.
Re-heating instructions
If being cooked from frozen, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Microwave: Re-heat in the microwave for the quickest results. Add a little water or broth to loosen the rice and heat until hot throughout. Stir halfway through.
- Stove: Heat in a pan over a medium-low heat with a splash a water or broth. Cover with a lid and allow to heat for 10-15 minutes.
- Oven: Add to a baking dish with some water or broth. Cover with foil and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180°C.
Nutrition and dietary facts
Dairy-free
(Per serving) Calories: 638kcal (28%), Protein: 32.3g (54%), Fat: 33.2g (42%), Saturated fat: 10.2g (68%), Carbohydrates: 48.9g (18%), Sugars: 8.1g (32%), Fibre: 2.7g (9%)
Note: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.