Ouzi rice with lamb, peas and carrots

Ingredients:

For the meat

- olive oil 2 tbsp
- ghee or unsalted butter 2 tbsp (30g)
- onion 1, finely diced
- minced lamb or beef, or a combination 500g
- nine-spice mix (see below), baharat or Lebanese seven-spice blend 1 tsp
- salt 1 tsp
- frozen peas and carrots 300g

For the rice

- basmati rice 500g, washed until the water runs clear, soaked for 15 minutes, and drained
- unsalted chicken stock 1 litre (see note)
- salt 1 tbsp
- ground turmeric ½ tsp
- nine-spice mix (see below), baharat or Lebanese seven-spice blend ½ tsp
- slivered almonds and/or pine nuts 110g, toasted or fried
- yoghurt for serving

For the nine-spice mix (makes about 125g)

- allspice berries 6 tbsp
- cassia bark or cinnamon 6 small sticks
- coriander seeds 3 tbsp
- black peppercorns 1 tbsp
- cardamom seeds 1 tsp or 10 whole cardamom pods
- cumin seeds ½ tsp
- cloves 10 whole
- mace 2 blades
- nutmeg 1

Preparation:

To make the nine-spice mix, in a large dry frying pan, toast all the spices over medium-low heat until you begin to smell the aroma of the spices, about 10 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon periodically to ensure the spices do not burn.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool completely, about 1 hour. This step is crucial because if the spices are not cooled properly, they will form a paste when ground rather than a powder.

Transfer all the roasted spices to a heavy-duty spice grinder and grind until you achieve a fine powder. Store the spice mix in an airtight container. It will keep for several months, although the aroma will fade with time.

In most recipes that call for separate spices, such as allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper, you can always add up the total number of teaspoons and substitute with an equal amount of this nine-spice mixture. It will give you a slightly different flavour profile, but will still be quite delicious.

To prepare the meat, in a large frying pan heat the olive oil and ghee over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the meat, spice blend and salt, and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until the water has evaporated and the meat is nicely browned, 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the peas and carrots, and set aside.

To make the rice, in a large pot combine the drained rice, stock, salt (see note), turmeric and spice blend, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a lively simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the rice, give it a good mix, and taste for seasoning. Cook until the rice is soft but firm to the bite and not so overcooked that it all sticks together, another 10-12 minutes. Check on it once or twice, and if the liquid evaporates entirely before the rice is cooked, add a few tablespoons of water. As a test, when you remove it from the heat, you should still be able to easily stir the rice with a spoon.

Remove from the heat, uncover, and place a thin tea towel over the pot, then securely close the lid again and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

To serve, uncover the pot and fluff the rice up with a large fork, then transfer to a serving platter and top with the toasted almonds. Serve with yoghurt on the side.

Note If your stock already has salt, start with 1 teaspoon of salt on the rice, then taste as it cooks and add more to your liking.

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