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Quozi + Biryani – Garlic Roasted Lamb Atop Bejewelled Rice

Filed Under: Meat Meals

Quozi is a stuffed lamb on a bed of spiced rice and traditionally served for significant events from weddings to funerals. Instead, we will make a lamb roast, stuffed with garlic, a Fukhudh Ghanam Mashwi.

The offering of a lamb in Islam is incredibly symbolic. Abraham on the mountain, proving his faith, nearly sacrificing his son in faith. Sacrifice. Surrender. Sacrifice. Surrender.

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Quozi + Biryani – Garlic Roasted Leg of Lamb Atop Bejeweled Rice

  • Author: Sara Leana Ahmad
Print Recipe

Description

Edited by Chef Danielle Goldstein

Ingredients

Scale

Lamb

  • About 2 lb lamb roast
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled (you can put the head in a stainless steel bowl, top with another same sized-bowl so it forms a sphere-ish shape, and shake it for 2 minutes to peel it!)
  • Bundle of Rosemary
  • Bundle of Thyme
  • Baharat, 7 spice mix (Allspice, Black Pepper, Coriander, Cumin, Cloves, Cinnamon, & Nutmeg)
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • a few whole Cardamom pods
  • Sea Salt
  • Deep, heavy cooking pan
  • Foil

Rice

  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white basmati rice
  • 1/2 cup Vermicelli noodles
  • Baharat, 7 spice mix
  • Turmeric
  • Sea Salt
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced half moons
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup peas (optional)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. The lamb. Do that first, because it takes 4 hours to cook. This is my mother’s recipe, and it is perfect every time, don’t make too many adjustments.
  2. 1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
  3. 2. Wash and dry the lamb. Then rub it with 1 -2 TBS baharat and 1 TBS sea salt.
  4. 3. In a deep, heavy baking pan: arrange half the garlic on the bottom, along with a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, a couple cinnamon sticks, and a few whole cardamom pods slightly cracked. Place the lamb on top of this. Proceed to stuff various parts of the lamb with garlic cloves. Top it with garlic. Garlic everywhere. Top it with a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Wrap the whole thing in foil. In fact, double wrap it. Tightly.
  5. 4. Place it in the oven, then immediately turn down the temp to 315 degrees. Set a cooking timer to 4 hours. No more, no less.
  6. 5. At the end of the cooking time pour the fatty juices into a mason jar. Let the lamb sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature to rest. You can spoon some of the fat off the juices and discard it, if you want. Save the juices as a natural gravy.
  7. The rice. Do this while the lamb is cooking. And towards the end, maybe the last hour and a half.
  8. 1. Wash and scrub that rice, don’t be lazy, tembal.
  9. 2. Soak in water for 20-40 minutes. Dump the water at the end.
  10. 3. Saute the onions, carrots, Vermicelli noodles, and the rice with some olive oil, baharat, turmeric, and salt for a few minutes. (It’s awkward for me to call them Vermicelli noodles, as I can really only call them by their Arabic name, shahariyya, which means hair because the noodles look like hair). I like to add a lot of the spices. Then add enough water to cover the rice by only 1 cm! Only one centimeter. My mama will repeat it twice because you are stubborn.
  11. 4. Let it cook, uncovered, on medium heat. When the water is absorbed (10-15 minutes), fluff it with a fork. My mama will repeat it twice. Fluff it. Don’t forget. Add the peas, if you’re using them. Mix in a fluffing sort of way.
  12. 5. Keep on very low heat, covered, until you serve.
  13. The toppings.
  14. 1. While you’re waiting on the lamb, sauté the golden raisins and almonds in olive oil in a frying pan. Careful not to burn it. Keep stirring. This should only take a minute. Set aside in bowl. This will be the topping for your rice once it’s served.
  15. 2. Soft boil the eggs by placing them in water, bring to a boil, and set a timer for 5 minutes. Then drain the water from the pan and shake it around to crack the eggs.
  16. 3. Fill the pan with cold water and peel the eggs in the water. Don’t slice them until they’re on the serving plate.
  17. The platter.
  18. 1. Put the rice on the platter first. Make it pretty.
  19. 2. Top it with the lamb.
  20. 3. Pour the lamb gravy and the rest of the garlic over the lamb and rice.
  21. 4. Add the sautéed golden raisins and almonds.
  22. 5. Then arrange the eggs on the platter. Make it pretty. Slice them in half so that the yolk may run a little.
  23. Enjoy. Fiimanallah.

Notes

  • Chef Tip: This dish takes time, but is well worth it. Good for a day off!
  • For the garlic, try taking 1 or 2 whole heads of garlic with the peel still on, and slice the head in half right down the middle, so that each clove is split in half and exposed. Put these under the lamb. When the lamb is finished cooking, gently squeeze the garlic heads into a bowl and discard the peels. You will have sweet roasted garlic which you can sprinkle on the lamb.
  • Did you know: Baharat is a middle eastern spice mixture, unique to each household. Make your own as you wish.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

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