Machboos

Instructions

1. 1 Place the lamb pieces in a large pot with the quartered onion, two dried black limes, cardamom pods, cloves, and salt. Cover with water by five centimetres, bring to a boil while skimming foam, then simmer for ninety minutes.
2. 2 Remove the cooked lamb from the broth and pat dry. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and reserve four cups for cooking the rice later. Discard the spent aromatics and quartered onion from the straining.
3. 3 Heat the ghee in a clean large pot over medium-high heat. Add the lamb pieces and sear on all sides until a golden-brown crust forms, about three minutes per side. Remove the lamb and set it aside on a plate.
4. 4 In the same pot, sauté the sliced onions in the remaining ghee for eight minutes until deeply golden. Add the diced tomatoes, baharat, turmeric, cinnamon, and remaining dried lime, cooking for five minutes until the tomatoes break down.
5. 5 Return the seared lamb to the pot and nestle it among the onions and tomatoes. Add the rinsed rice and carefully pour in the reserved lamb broth with the saffron water, ensuring the liquid sits two centimetres above the rice.
6. 6 Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to the lowest possible heat. Cover the pot tightly with foil and then the lid, and cook undisturbed for twenty minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
7. 7 Remove from heat and let the machboos rest, still covered, for ten minutes. This allows the steam to finish cooking the top layer of rice and makes each grain perfectly fluffy and separate when you fluff it.
8. 8 Gently fluff the rice with a fork, taking care not to break the grains. Arrange on a large platter with the lamb pieces on top, garnish generously with fresh cilantro and fried onions, and serve with dakkous tomato sauce.