Kabsa (Meat and rice)

Spiced rice dish cooked in a meat broth

📝 Ingredients

• 700 g lamb or beef fillet (chopped into cubes)
• Drizzle mild olive oil (approx 2 tablespoons)
• 1 onion (peeled)
• 1 carrot (peeled)
• 1 celery stick
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 black cardamom pods
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 10-15 black peppercorns
• 5 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 litres boiling water
• 2 cups rice
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 carrot (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 1 teaspoon kabsa spice
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon 7 spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground dried lime
• 1/2 cup petit pois
• 2 cups meat broth
• 1.5 cups boiling water (approx 2.5 cups)
• 1 cup assorted nuts (lightly toasted)
• small handful fresh coriander (cilantro)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1In a non stick pan, lightly toast the assorted nuts until slightly golden. Careful not to burn, remove and set aside.
2. 2--- To make the meat broth ---
3. 3In the same pan, flash fry the meat cubes on high heat for bout five minutes to seal the outsides.
4. 4Transfer the meat to the stockpot, along with the whole onion, carrot, stick of celery, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, black and green cardamom pods, cloves bay leaves and salt
5. 5Bring to the boil then simmer for an hour., skimming off any fat that develops on the surface
6. 6Remove the meat and set aside and pass the liquid through a fine sieve to produce a clear broth
7. 7--- To make the rice ---
8. 8Wash the rice until the water runs mostly clear and soak in a bowl covered with water
9. 9In a casserole dish, sauté the finely chopped onion in a drizzle of mild olive oil until golden (approx 10 mins)
10. 10Then add the carrots, ginger and garlic and sauté for another five minutes before adding the spices (kabsa, 7 spice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika) and the tomato concentrate
11. 11Add the cooked meat to the onion spice mix and sauté for a few minutes before draining the rice and adding to the meat
12. 12Sauté for another few minutes then add 2 cups of the meat broth and approximately 1.5 cups of boiling water making sure the rice is covered by around 2.5 cm
13. 13Add the dried lime, cilantro (fresh coriander), petit pois and approximately a teaspoon of salt depending on how salty the broth is. (Taste to adjust as necessary)
14. 14Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for another 25 minutes until the rice is cooked and mostly free from moisture
15. 15Assemble with the rice on a platter and meat on top and garnish with the assorted nuts.