Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1888) of T.E. Lawrence, archeologist, historian, linguist, and soldier, whose military exploits in Arabia in the Great War changed the socio-political landscape of the Arab world for all time.  In his diaries there is a splendid entry describing a Bedu feast of lamb and rice which involved large cauldrons of the dish served to hundreds of people at the same time.  The dish goes under the generic name mansaf, and has numerous variations, but the basic idea is the same – make a spicy lamb (or mutton) broth, then cook rice in it and serve the lamb and rice together (to be eaten with the hands — right hand only). 

Ingredients

lamb stock

    2 tablespoons ghee

    2 loomis, (dried black lime)

    4 cinnamon stick

    6 green cardamom pods

    4 cloves

    850 gm mutton or lamb (with or without bones) chopped to bite sized pieces

    salt

    4 cups hot water

Bedouin rice

    2 cups basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes and drained

    salt

garnish

    3 tablespoons pine nuts

    3 tablespoons raisins

    Fresh coriander leaves chopped

salata hara

    2 tomatoes peeled and chopped

    fresh cilantro

    1 garlic clove crushed and chopped fine

    2 green chiles

    lemon juice

    salt and pepper

Instructions

Fry the garnish items.  Heat ghee in a deep pot on low to medium flame. Add the pine nuts and fry until golden brown, remove and keep aside. Add the raisins and fry until puffed, remove and keep aside.

Heat more ghee if required. Add all of the whole spices and roast on medium flame until fragrant. Add the meat pieces and brown them on high heat. Add the hot water and cover the pot. Simmer for one hour or until meat is tender.

Put the salata hara ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse until the tomatoes are broken down and everything is combined but still chunky. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice to personal taste.

Open the pot with the lamb, stir in the drained rice and add more hot water only if required (there should be at least an inch of water above the rice). Bring to a full boil on high heat. Boil on high until the rice comes to the surface. Reduce the flame to low and cover the pot with a tight lid. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and switch off. Let it sit for 8 to 10 minutes unopened so that the rice steam cooks.

Open and fluff the rice and then transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fried nuts, raisins and fresh coriander. Serve hot with prepared salata hara.