Omani Lamb Qabuli

1Preparation

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it for 30 minutes.
2. Chop one onion and thinly slice the other two for the topping.
3. Crush the garlic, grate the ginger and pierce the dried limes.

2Cooking

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot and cook the chopped onion until soft.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 6 min timer
2. Add the lamb and brown it, then add the garlic, ginger, all the spices and dried limes and stir for 2 minutes.

   🔥 high heat⏱ 10 min timer
3. Pour in the water, add salt, cover and simmer until the lamb is tender.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 80 min timer
4. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the sliced onions until brown and crisp, then add the chickpeas, raisins and ghee and stir until the raisins plump.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 15 min timer
5. Lift out the lamb and measure 4½ cups of broth in the pot.

   ⏱ 2 min timer
6. Drain the rice, add it to the boiling broth and cook uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice.

   🔥 high heat⏱ 7 min timer
7. Lay the lamb on the rice, cover tightly and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 25 min timer

3Serving

1. Spread the rice on a large platter and arrange the lamb on top.
2. Scatter over the crisp onions, chickpeas and raisins, and serve with yogurt-cucumber salad.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: judging the broth by eye. Too much makes the rice mushy, too little leaves it hard; measure 1½ cups per cup of soaked rice.
• Make the topping while the lamb simmers to save time.
• For a browner finish, roast the cooked lamb at 220°C for 15 minutes before serving.

🔁 Substitutions

• A whole chicken, cut up, can replace the lamb; cut the simmering time to 35 minutes.