Tender lamb cooked in spices and stewed in a tomato broth served on top of rice that's cooking in the lam broth. It super tasty and a great dish for family and friends to share.
Category
Dinner
Servings
6
Prep time
40 minutes
Cook time
1 hour 30 minutes
Tender lamb cooked in spices and stewed in a tomato broth served on top of rice that's cooking in the lam broth. It super tasty and a great dish for family and friends to share.
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, diced
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 lamb shanks
- 80g (about 2.8 oz) raisins
- 100g (about 3.5 oz) yellow split peas
- 2 red onions, diced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 0.5 tsp ground cloves
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 800g (about 1.76 lb) basmati rice
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- a small pinch of saffron
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp ground cumin
Directions
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pressure cooker or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced brown onion with a generous pinch of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add the cloves, green cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick.
- Place the lamb shanks in the pot, season with salt, and mix well. Cover with cold water, secure the pressure cooker lid, and cook for 40 minutes on high. If using a Dutch oven, bring to a light simmer and cook the lamb shanks for 2.5-3 hours.
- While the lamb is cooking, soak the raisins in hot water for 5-10 minutes. In a separate pot, cover the yellow split peas with water, add a pinch of salt, and simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onions with a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until caramelised. Add the drained raisins and cooked yellow split peas. Season with ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
- Place the basmati rice in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and cover with water to soak for 20 minutes. Bloom the saffron in warm water with a few drops of lemon juice.
- Once the lamb is almost ready, remove from the pressure cooker and place on an oven tray, reserving the lamb stock for the rice. Pour half of the saffron water evenly over the lamb shanks, then season with turmeric, ground ginger, ground cumin, and a pinch of cinnamon mixed together. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (392°F) for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the soaked rice. Add to the pressure cooker and cover with the reserved lamb stock, ensuring the liquid is one knuckle depth above the rice. If needed, add more water to achieve this.
- Cook the rice in the pressure cooker on high. Once pressure builds and it starts whistling, cook for 3 minutes. Then release the steam and allow it to depressurize naturally. When safe, open the lid and pour the remaining saffron water over the rice, tossing well.
- To serve, layer rice on a plate, top with the roasted lamb shanks, and garnish with the onion and raisin mixture. Enjoy!
