Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb or 1 k lamb
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 onion, cut in quarters
• 1 whole dried black lime (loomi, pierced a couple times with a skewer)
• sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 1 pinch of saffron threads soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup sultana, soaked in water
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin & 1 tsp ground cardamom (I omit these two 1 teaspoon add 3/4 tsp Baharat Aka Middle East Mixed Spices - the Real Mix)
• 1 teaspoon dried lime powder (loomi)
• sea salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 (680 ml) can tomato sauce (like Hunts or a good can plumb tomatoes pureed)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup stock (reserved from cooking the lamb)
• sea salt
• fresh lemon, halved for serving

Instructions

1. Wash a leg of lamb or large lamb pieces thoroughly and place in a pot. Cover with water and add cinnamon stick, cloves, bruised cardamom pods, and onion & peirced loomi. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender, skimming as necessary. When meat is tender, remove the meat, and strain and reserve the stock.

2. Rinse the rice, leave to soak in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain well.

3. In a separate pan, heat 1/4 cup oil. Sprinkle meat with a teaspoon of ground cardamom or baharat, brown it in the oil and remove. To the remaining oil add the drained rice and stock amount required to cook rice & salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer till all the liquid is absorbed. Pour saffron water over rice and top with meat. Cover well and warm on lowest heat for 15 minutes. (I do this in the oven covered at 250F (warm) until we are ready to eat).

4. Garnish (Heshew):.

5. Brown onions in a non stick pan without oil and afterf a while with a little water as needed, stirring continuously. Add pine nuts and brown, then add drained sultanas and spices/sea salt. Set aside.

6. Sauce (Dakkous):.

7. Fry onions and garlic till golden. Add remaining ingredients, stir and simmer 5 minutes.

8. Spoon rice onto a shallow dish, top with heshew and meat. Serve with dakkous, lemons and a fresh salad.