Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

Lamb Kabuli Pulao

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**I want to make a disclaimer that this is by no means an authentic kabuli pulao recipe. This is my own version of the dish. I hope that you still enjoy it!

Every Eid al-Fitr my mom makes biryani and every Eid-Al Adha, I make Lamb Kabuli Pulao. This is a recent tradition in our household but certainly one that I suspect is sure to stay for generations. There’s a great sense of warmth and comfort in this dish; it’s absolutely perfect for the holidays, a Sunday dinner, or a fabulous get-together.

The first time I had kabuli pulao was in an Afghani restaurant, and I absolutely fell in love with it! Not only is it beautiful with its orange carrots, purple raisins, and toasted brown almonds, but it tastes heavenly.

The word Pulao refers to a rice dish and can often get a bad rep (especially from desis) for being “bland” and “plain”, especially compared to other popular rice dishes such as biryani. But this pulao will make your taste buds explode. It’s got a great balance of sweet and savory, and while it’s not particularly spicy, it is by no means devoid of great taste and seasoning.

First I start off by sauteeing onions until they become nice and caramelized.  In conjunction with the raisins that you top the dish off with later, the caramelization adds an underlying sweetness that compliments the rest of the dish. Then I add in the lamb (marinated in ginger-garlic paste) along with several warm spices and cook it until its tender. I like to add half the raisins at this step; I find that they plump up with the succulent juices of the stew, thus boosting extra flavor.

Lamb Masala – onions, lamb, spices, raisins

Spices -Left ramekin clockwise (chilli powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper), Right ramekin clockwise (cumin, fennel, cloves, cardamom, star-anise, cinnamon stick)

Then you cook the rice in boiling water with whole spices such as star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cardamom, black peppercorns.

Basmati Rice

In the meantime, use your handy vegetable peeler to peel the carrots into beautiful shreds and sautee them in some butter along with the remaining raisins.

Ribbons of Carrots

Once all the elements of the dish are ready (the rice, the lamb stew, the carrots and raisins) you’re all set to layer everything into a baking pan. First add a layer of rice to the bottom of the tray, then the meat, and then another layer of rice. Then you cover it with some aluminum foil and bake the dish in the oven at 400 F for about thirty minutes. This allows for all the flavors to really come together and for the rice to finish cooking. Finally  top the dish with some toasted almonds, along with your carrots and raisins. And there you have it. A wholesome, comforting, visually vibrant meat and rice dish that is sure to please!

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Lamb Kabuli Pulao

Course Main Course
Cuisine afghani
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Meat

  • 1 lb boneless lamb (or 2 lbs bone-in) cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 3/4 tsp chilli powder
  • 1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Masala

  • 3 cups onions sliced
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1.5-2 cups water

Rice

  • 2.5 cups basmati rice long-grain
  • 1.5 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 star anise
  • 1 cinammon stick
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4-5 cardamom pods
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Topped Garnish

  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 3-4 medium carrots
  • 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup almonds and/or pistacchios
  • 2 tbsp oil (for nuts - optional)

Instructions

  1. Take your lamb and add all your marinade spices and aromatics - salt, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste. Combine and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

  2. In the meantime, prep your onions by slicing them into half-moon slices.

  3. Add your oil and butter to a hot pan and sautee your onions until nice and caramelized. (The onions should turn brown.)

  4. Once the onions are caramelized, add in your spices and your lamb. Sautee until the lamb develops color.

  5. Now add in your water and raisins. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Loosely cover the pan/pot with the lid, to allow some steam to escape.

  6. If you are pressed for time, skip the above step and put the masala and meat in a pressure cooker with a cup of water. Secure the lid and allow the lamb to cook for 20 minutes or so, or until tenderized.

  7. While your lamb is cooking, go ahead and prep your rice. Take your rice and rinse thoroughly multiple times until the water comes out clear. Let the rice soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.Once done soaking the rice should be translucent.

  8. While the rice is soaking, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in your aromatic whole spices and salt. (tip - keep lid on pot while getting water to boil. The process will be faster!)

  9. Once the water is ferociously boiling, add in the rice to the water. Stir around with a slotted spoon. (Leave pot uncovered.)

  10. Drain the rice when it is about 75% of the way cooked. For me, the best way to tell, is to just eat a grain of rice or two. If it's soft with a slight crunch; edible but not really done - then it's perfect at this stage in the process. If the rice is completely cooked, it will end up being mushy at the end because the rice continues to cook in the oven in the juices of the masala. If it's still raw, then it won't finish cooking.

  11. Your masala and rice should both be ready to go. For the masala, make sure that the lamb is tender and that most of the water has evaporated . If should be the consistency of a thick curry.

  12. Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large baking dish add half the rice into one bottom layer. Then add all your masala and spread it out into an even layer. Finally add in the rest of your rice as the top layer. If you want the pulao to be a little extra buttery, add another tablespoon of butter (chopped into cubes) and spread around the top.

  13. Cover the dish with foil and let it bake for about 30 minutes.

  14. While the pulao is baking, go ahead and prep your carrots. Shred them into ribbon-like strips with a vegetable peeler.

  15. Sautee the carrots along with the raisins in the oil and butter. Add  in your salt.

  16. Toast your nuts. Feel free to toast in oil/butter if you don't mind the calories.

  17. After the pulao is done baking, remove from the oven. Carefully lift the foil off the baking tray, and slowly mix the dish together with a serving spoon. Add your garnish (carrots, raisins, and nuts) to the top of the dish. And there you have it!