Lamb Kabsa Rice Recipe
One-pot rice dishes are always a delicious winner. Lamb kabsa is often known as a Saudi Arabian dish, but it is popular across the Arabic world. This dish is hearty, delicious and wonderfully easy to cook.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 897kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 400 g Lamb Leg Steak 14oz (Bone in if Possible)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 375 ml Lamb Stock 1½ Cups
- 250 ml Water 1 Cup
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Large Bay Leaf
- 6 Cardamom Pods
- 10 cm Cassia Bark 4"
- 175 g Basmati Rice 1 Cup
- 50 g Raisins ⅓ Cup
- 2 Medium Tomatoes 250-300g Total
- 30 g Almonds ¼ Cup
For the Kabsa Seasoning:
- ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Coarsely Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Ginger
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into 5mm (¼") half-moon shapes.
- Heat the oil in a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. You want to get the onions softened and just starting to colour on the edges, so if they colour too quickly, reduce the heat a little.
- Press the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand, not too hard; you just want to break them open a little.
- Bash the black cardamom pods with the side of a knife; again, the idea is just to "crack" them.
- Season the lamb with the salt.
- After the onions have had 10 minutes, push them to the side of the saucepan and sear the lamb on both sides to get a nice colour. Whilst you are searing the lamb, turn the onions over occasionally so that the ones in contact with the pan do not burn.
- Throw in the garlic cloves, bay leaf, cassia bark, and black cardamom pods, then pour over the lamb stock and the water, then give it all a mix. Reduce the heat to low, add a lid and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
- Whilst the lamb is simmering, mix the spices for the kabsa seasoning.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
- Chop the tomatoes into a rough 1cm (½") dice.
- Strain the stock from the solids in the pan; do not discard the stock, we will need it later. Then remove the lamb and cut it into bite-sized pieces, discarding any fat that does not look edible.
- Add the lamb back into the saucepan with the rice, tomatoes, and raisins.
- Pick out the garlic cloves, give them a mash with a fork and add them back into the saucepan.
- Return the rest of the solids to the pan, sprinkle over the kabsa seasoning, then pour over enough stock to cover the rice mix by around 1cm (just under ½"). This will be around 375ml (or 1½ cups). Then add a lid, return the pan to a medium heat and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Very roughly chop the almonds and toast them in a dry frying pan or air fryer. I prefer to put them in a small tin and toast them at 180°C or 350°F in an air fryer for around 8-10 minutes in 2-minute bursts, shaking them in between.
- When the rice is cooked, allow it to sit in the pan for 5 minutes before serving, then serve sprinkled with the toasted almonds.
Notes
Be sure to remove the casia bark, cardamom pods and bay leaf before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 897kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 1225mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 23g
