This is a Turkish dish that I found in the original Moro cookbook. I’ve bought some delicious lamb from a nearby croft, and I am slowly working my way through the various cuts and savouring each one.
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil
- around 450g lamb, cut into small pieces about 1cm cubes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 small onion, blitzed finely in the food processor
- 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
- 75g butter
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 175g basmati rice, washed and soaked in cold salty water, and then drained (the book says soak for 3 hours but I forgot and I was in a rush and it was fine)
- 1/2 medium white cabbage, shredded
- Parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
METHOD:
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and add the diced lamb, grated onion, tomato puree and cinnamon. Cover with cold water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
- In a pan with a lid, heat the butter, and when it starts to bubble, add the caraway and fry this for a minute.
- Add the drained rice to the caraway and stir to coat the rice in the butter and cook for another minute.
- Add enough water to cover the rice and then the lamb mixture and some chopped parsley, and bring back to a gentle simmer. I wrap the lid of the pan in a teatowel to stop water dripping from the lid back into the rice. Cook gently for around 8 minutes, until the rice is almost cooked. Remove the lid and let it sit for another five minutes. Sprinkle more parsley over the top as a garnish.
I served this with thick Greek yoghurt seasoned with salt and pepper, and a carrot and cumin salad, and wedges of lemon to season the pilau and the carrot salad.