Lamb Kabsa
Spiced rice, tender lamb, and toasted nuts come together for a delicious and classic dish known as Lamb Kabsa. This hearty meal would be the perfect way to use the traditional lamb meat eaten during the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 lb. Lamb Loins ((or Lamb Shanks or Thighs))
- 1.5 cups Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Tomato Puree ((or Crushed Tomatoes))
- 1 lg. Onion
- 2 Carrots ((Shredded))
- ½ cup Avocado Oil ((or Ghee or Butter))
- 3 tsp. Kabsa Spice
- 3 tsp. Salt
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Dried Lemon
- 4 Cardamom Pods
- ½ tsp. Cloves
- 2 tb. Pine Nuts
- ¼ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Sliced Almonds
- 1 tsp. Turmeric
- 1 tsp. Coriander
- 1 tsp. Fennel
- ½ tsp. Ginger
- ½ tsp. All Spice
- ½ tsp. Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Chili Powder
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 tsp. Black Cardamom
Instructions
- 1
Finely chop the large onion and wash, peel and grate the carrots. Set aside.**Prepare the kabsa spice by grinding all the whole spices and mixing together very well. Spice mix makes about 7 teaspoons of kabsa. Store the unused kabsa spice in an airtight container or baggie.
- 2
In a large deep pot, add ¼ cup of the oil and chopped onion and sauté until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the lamb and add to the pot. Sauté for about 2 minutes on each side. Add enough water to cover the lamb and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the water from the pot, leaving behind the lamb and onions. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, the shredded carrots, 2 tsp. of the kabsa spice, 1 tsp of salt, and all the aromatics (Bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and dried lemon). Sauté for 5 minutes.
- 4
Add the cup of tomato puree and 4 cups of water. Cook over high heat until it comes to a boil, lower to medium heat and cover with the lid. Let cook for about 45-60 minutes until the lamb has fully cooked and become tender. Make sure to mix every now and then and add more water as needed.
- 5
Wash the rice until it runs clear. Add over the cooked lamb, along with the remaining 2 teaspoons of kabsa spice blend, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 ½ cups of water. Mix everything together very well and let come to a boil over high heat. After 5 minutes, lower the heat, cover and let the rice cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until fully cooked and fluffy.
- 6
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to a small skillet and sauté the nuts for about 2 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside to serve over the prepared rice and lamb.