What’s cooking? World recipes

Khuzi, or Ghuzi, is a special dish that serves its true purpose on special occasions. Khuzi is a very filling delicious meal made of roasted lamb or goat, served on a plate of rice and nuts. It is so popular in the UAE that most restaurants have this dish on their menus.

Lamb machbous

Ingredients (Serves 10)
For the lamb:
Salt, to taste
1/2 tbsp turmeric
3-1/2 tbsp bezar spice*
Small lamb weighing 5-6kg, rinsed, dried and marinated overnight with salt, bezar, lemon juice and saffron
For the gravy:
Oil, for cooking
6 onions, sliced
50g each, chopped green chillies, garlic and ginger
3-1/2 tbsp bezar spice
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
10 each, cinnamon sticks and cardamom
8 cloves
1 cup each, sultanas, whole blanched almonds and whole unsalted raw cashew nuts
6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato paste
Curry leaves, a handful
For the rice:
2.5kg rice
Salt, to taste
Ghee or clarified butter, a dollop
For garnishing:
6 cups yellow split peas, boiled with salt and turmeric and sauteed with 3 finely sliced onions until brown
1 tbsp bezar spice
2 tsp saffron, soaked in lemon juice
1 tbsp rose water

Method
Lamb: Heat water in a deep saucepan and boil lamb with salt, turmeric and a little bezar spice for 45 minutes. Remove lamb from the stock and keep aside. Reserve the stock for the rice.

To prepare gravy, heat oil in a large saucepan, and saute onions until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and sauté until the ingredients are softened and a little brown. Add bezar, turmeric, ground cinnamon, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and dry fruits and continue to saute on low heat for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, curry leaves and half the fresh coriander and continue cooking on low heat for a minute. Add lamb to it and season with salt.

To prepare rice, boil it in a large saucepan with 3 litres of water until all the water has been absorbed. Then add the reserved lamb stock and cook until all the stock has been absorbed. Spoon ghee over and keep aside. Spoon lamb and gravy on top of the rice and garnish with the remaining coriander. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and set rice aside. Garnish with sauteed split peas and bezar spice. Remove from heat, sprinkle with rose water and saffron. Serve hot.

spotted in gulfnews.com