Dampukht — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender lamb and rice cooked together in a sealed pot using the dampukht steaming technique, where the meat's juices flavor every grain of rice. This ancient Afghan one-pot method produces remarkably aromatic results.

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
500g lamb, bone-in pieces
2 large onions, sliced
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 whole black peppercorns

Instructions

1 Soak basmati rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain thoroughly.
2 Heat oil in a heavy pot. Brown the lamb pieces on all sides over high heat, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3 In the same pot, fry sliced onions until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to the pot.
4 Add turmeric, cumin, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes until lamb is nearly tender.
5 Spread the drained rice evenly over the lamb. Do not stir. Seal the pot with foil under the lid to trap all steam.
6 Cook on lowest possible heat for 30 minutes. The rice steams in the meat broth, absorbing all the flavors. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
7 Remove lid, fluff rice gently, and serve on a platter with the lamb pieces arranged on top of the fragrant rice.

Did You Know?

The word dampukht means "steam-cooked" — the sealed pot technique was used by nomadic Afghan cooks who buried pots in embers overnight for slow cooking.