Kabuli

Ingredients

Meat

• 1.5 kglamb on the bone, in large pieces
• 2 tbspOmani bezar spice mix
• 1 tspturmeric
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tbspginger garlic paste
• 3 tbspghee

Broth

• 2onions, sliced
• 2tomatoes
• 4cardamom pods
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4cloves
• 2dried limes, pierced
• 1.5 litreswater

Rice

• 750 gbasmati, soaked 30 min
• 1 tspsaffron in rose water

To finish

• 3onions, sliced and fried crisp
• 100 graisins
• 50 gflaked almonds
• ghee

Directions

1. Rub the lamb with the bezar, turmeric, salt and ginger garlic paste and leave it 2 hours.
2. Bezar is the Omani blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, chilli and turmeric, and it is what makes this Omani rather than generic.
3. Brown the lamb hard in the ghee, then set it aside.
4. Fry the onions in the same pot until deep gold, add the whole spices and the pierced dried limes.
5. Pierce the loomi. Whole and unpierced they give almost nothing; pierced they release the sour, faintly fermented citrus note that runs through the whole dish.
6. Return the lamb with the tomatoes and water, cover, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes until tender.
7. Lift the lamb out and strain the broth, measuring it for the rice.
8. Cook the rice in that broth rather than in water. It is the entire seasoning of the grain, and rice cooked in plain water beside good meat is a wasted opportunity.
9. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the measured hot broth, using about one and a half times the volume of the rice.
10. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and steam for 15 minutes.
11. Trickle the saffron rose water over the surface in streaks rather than stirring it in.
12. Streaking the saffron rather than mixing it is what gives the marbled white and gold rice, and stirred through it just turns everything a flat yellow.
13. Bury the lamb pieces in the rice, cover, and leave on the lowest heat for a further 15 minutes.
14. Fry the remaining onions until crisp, and fry the raisins and almonds separately in ghee.
15. Turn the rice out onto a large platter, lay the lamb over it, and scatter the crisp onion, raisins and almonds on top.
16. Serve on one platter, eaten with the right hand, which is how it goes to an Omani table.
17. It is a close relative of the Gulf-wide family that includes majboos and kabsa, and the name has nothing to do with Kabul.

Technique

• Dried limes, loomi, are the defining sourness and are sold whole in every Gulf market.
• Chicken is common and cooks in about half the time.
• It is celebration food, cooked for guests and for Eid.

Substitutions

• Ras el hanout or baharat in place of bezar, which is close but not the same.
• Ground dried lime, half a teaspoon, if you cannot find whole ones.

Variations

• Made with chicken.
• Majboos, the closely related Gulf rice dish.
• With a layer of fried potato under the rice.

History

A festive Omani rice dish named for Kabul, reflecting the spice routes that shaped Omani cooking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kabuli?

Kabuli is a main from Oman: spiced rice layered with lamb or chicken, raisins and fried onion. A festive Omani rice dish named for Kabul, reflecting the spice routes that shaped Omani cooking.

How long does Kabuli take to make?

Kabuli takes 30 min plus 2 hr marinating of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kabuli?

Yes, within limits. Ras el hanout or baharat in place of bezar, which is close but not the same. Ground dried lime, half a teaspoon, if you cannot find whole ones.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kabuli?

Bezar is the Omani blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, chilli and turmeric, and it is what makes this Omani rather than generic.