Qabili Pilau Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the rice in cool water for 5 minutes. Rinse until water runs clear.
• Place 4 cardamom pods on a cutting board and lightly crush using the flat side of a knife; transfer to a pressure cooker. Add halved onion, garlic head, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, paprika, and coriander seeds. Pour in water to cover.
• Seal pressure cooker lid and turn heat to high. Cook until pressure cooker whistles once, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Wait for 2 more whistles, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to release naturally, about 10 minutes.
• Strain broth into a bowl. Clean out the pressure cooker and heat it over medium heat. Add oil and chopped onion; cook and stir until softened and browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add carrots; cook until soft, about 3 minutes more. Add raisins, almonds, and strained rice. Add remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon cumin seed, and remaining clove.
• Crush remaining cardamom seed to a powder and add to the pressure cooker. Mix to combine; pour in enough broth to cover the rice.
• Increase heat to high and seal the pressure cooker. Cook until the first whistle, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let rest for 7 minutes; release the pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked rice to a serving dish immediately to prevent overcooking.

Steps:

• For the lamb shanks: Place the lamb in a pressure cooker and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add the coriander, garlic, turmeric, plum tomatoes, onions, cilantro and 1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and pepper. Cook at 250 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Release the steam in the pressure cooker, then carefully open it and transfer the lamb to a large pot along with about 2 1/2 cups of lamb juice. Reserve the remaining juice for the rice.
• Add the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, paprika and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, adding lamb juice as needed so it doesn't dry out.
• For the qabili palao rice: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Boil the rice in water until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain and return to the pot.
• Mix together the reserved lamb stock, oil and saffron water in a bowl and pour over the rice. Add the Seven-Spice Mixture, cardamom pods and saffron; mix thoroughly. Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the rice topping: Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a pan. Add the carrots and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the raisins, almonds and pistachios if using, oil, sugar, ground cardamom and saffron; mix well. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place about half of the rice on a platter and arrange the lamb shanks on top. Cover with the remaining rice and top with the carrot mixture.
• Mix together the black pepper, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and cumin in a bowl.

Steps:

• Brown 1 medium diced onion in oil. Fry until the onion is fairly dark. Add 1 lb lamb cut into 1"-2" cubes and brown lightly.
• Add 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoons Salt and 1 to 1 ½ tsp each (cinnamon, ground cumin and ground cardamom) Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about an hour.
• Remove meat from the juice and set juice aside. Cut 3 carrots into match stick size pieces. Sauté carrots and 1 tsp sugar in about 1/4 cup of oil. Cook until they are lightly browned. Remove from oil Add 1 cup of raisins (I prefer golden sultanas) to the oil and cook until they swell up.
• Boil the meat juice and add 2 cups basmati (very long grained) rice, 1 ½ tsp salt and enough boiling water to come 2 inches over the rice. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, but not mushy.
• Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice together. Place in a large oven-proof casserole, cover and bake at 300 degrees for about a half hour--or up to an hour. To serve--place on platter, making sure the carrots and raisins show on top.

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces, onions, salt and hot water in a 5-pt saucepan.
• Cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
• The chicken should be tender, yet firm.
• Remove and cool chicken, reserving stock.
• Remove meat from bones; use only large pieces for this dish.
• Cook rice in boiling salted water or cook in a rice cooker.
• When done cover until ready for use.
• To make stock sauce: Brown onions in hot butter and remove from heat.
• Add cardamom and cumin; mash with onion to form a paste.
• Add about 1 pt of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
• Combine cooked rice, stock sauce and chicken; place in a buttered casserole; place carrots on top of mixture and sprinkle with raisins.
• Cover and cook for about 35 to 45 minutes in a very moderate oven (325°F).
• Add more stock or water if dish becomes too dry.
• When done, mix carrots and raisins lightly with chicken and rice.
• Stock not used in the main dish can be served as a soup course.