Bariis Iskukaris — Print Recipe

Fragrant Somali rice cooked with raisins, spices, and tender beef — aromatic with cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin. The Somali celebration rice dish.

Ingredients

3 cups basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
500 g beef stew meat, cut into 3 cm cubes
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp xawaash spice blend (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper)
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups water or beef broth
1 ripe banana, sliced, for serving

1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the beef cubes in a single layer, and sear without moving for three to four minutes until deeply browned on the bottom, then turn and brown the remaining sides.
2 Add the sliced onions to the pot with the browned beef, along with the cardamom pods, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick, and saute for five minutes until the onions are softened and the whole spices release their aromatic oils.
3 Stir in the xawaash spice blend and cook for one minute until fragrant, then pour in enough water to cover the beef by one inch, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for forty-five minutes until the beef is fork-tender.
4 Add the diced carrots and raisins to the tender beef, stir to distribute evenly, then spread the rinsed basmati rice in an even layer over the top without stirring it into the meat mixture.
5 Pour the measured broth or water carefully over the rice to cover it by about one centimeter, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly with a lid wrapped in a kitchen towel to absorb steam, and cook for eighteen to twenty minutes until the rice is fluffy and each grain is separate.
6 Remove from heat and let the pot rest undisturbed for ten minutes, then gently fluff the rice with a fork, folding it into the meat and vegetables, and serve on a large communal platter with sliced banana arranged around the edges.