Qabili palaw is the rice of weddings, Eid and honoured guests, and Afghans call it their national dish. The name is usually traced to qabil, able or accomplished, a dish for a cook who knows what they are doing; plenty of Kabulis will tell you it just means of Kabul, and that argument has never been settled. It is a broth pulao. Lamb is cooked in water with onion until the water becomes stock, the rice is parboiled and then finished in that stock with cumin and cardamom, and the meat is buried in the middle to steam with it, and the whole thing is turned and lifted with a kafgeer, the wide flat slotted spoon that keeps the grains whole. The carrot and raisin topping is fried separately and sugared lightly, then piled on at the end, so the sweetness stays on the surface. Many households darken the rice with caramelised sugar or onions browned almost black; this version stays lighter and tastes more of the lamb. If you can find sella basmati, the parboiled kind, use it, because ordinary basmati tends to break in the second steam.
INGREDIENTS
- 600 g sella basmati rice
- 125 ml sunflower oil (for the rice)
- 2 medium onions (finely diced)
- 500 g boneless lamb leg (diced)
- 1 litre hot water
- 1 tbsp salt (for the stock)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (for the rice)
- 1 tbsp salt (for the parboiling water)
- 1 tbsp salt (for the rice)
- 500 ml sunflower oil (for frying the topping)
- 2 carrots (cut into thin matchsticks)
- 170 g raisins
- 1 heaped tbsp slivered almonds
- 1 heaped tbsp slivered pistachios
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (for the topping)
METHOD
- Rinse the rice and leave it to soak for 2 to 3 hours.
- Heat the 125ml oil in a heavy pot and fry the onions for about 5 minutes until soft and golden, then add the lamb and brown it on all sides.
- Pour in the hot water with the tablespoon of salt and pressure-cook on high for 15 minutes, or simmer covered for about an hour until the lamb is tender.
- Lift out the lamb and keep every drop of the stock.
- Bring 2.5 litres of water with 1 tbsp salt to the boil, add the drained rice and boil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the edge of each grain is soft and the centre still firm. Drain.
- Return the rice to the pot with the stock, cumin, cardamom and 1 tbsp salt, mix gently with a wide flat slotted spoon, and bury the lamb in the middle.
- Cover tightly and set over high heat until steam escapes from under the lid, then turn to the lowest heat and leave for 20 minutes.
- While the rice steams, heat the 500ml oil and fry the carrot matchsticks for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and only just colouring. Lift out.
- Fry the raisins in the same oil for about 3 minutes, until plump. Lift out.
- Toss the carrots and raisins with the almonds, pistachios, sugar, cardamom and a pinch of salt.
- Heap the rice on a large platter with the lamb, and pile the topping over the top.
