Kuwait: Machboos Laham

Name: Kuwait: Machboos Laham
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Kuwait
Ingredients: boneless lamb: 1 kg (2.2 lbs); yellow onion: 1 small onion; cinnamon stick: 1; peppercorns: 1 tsp; cloves: 1/2 tsp; cardamom: 5 pods; bay leaves: 2; salt: 2 tsp; cinnamon: 1/2 tsp; turmeric: 1/4 tsp; ground ginger: 1/4 tsp; cumin: 1/2 tsp; salt and pepper; saffron: 1/2 tsp; lemon juice: 2 Tbsp; clarified butter (ghee): 2 Tbsp; basmati rice: 2 cups; yellow onion: 2 medium; yellow split peas: 1/3 cup; raisins: 1/2 cup; olive oil: 1 Tbsp; ground cinnamon: 1/8 tsp; salt: 1/2 tsp; sugar: 1/2 tsp; ground cloves: dash; black pepper: dash

Cuisine:

Kuwait

Ingredients

1 kg (2.2 lbs) boneless lamb
cut into cubes
1 small onion yellow onion
chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp cloves
5 pods cardamom
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp saffron
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
2 cups basmati rice
I used brown
For the stuffing
2 medium yellow onion
chopped
1/3 cup yellow split peas
1/2 cup raisins
soaked
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
dash ground cloves
dash black pepper

Directions

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I’ve often been asked how I decide which country I’m going to cook from next. It’s usually fairly arbitrary. An ingredient I’m looking to use, a craving, a whim. This week I wanted to get back on the journey. I was researching recipes and discovered that February 25th is the National Day of Kuwait – which just happened to be a Sunday, the perfect day to cook!

So, the National Day of Kuwait. “Do they celebrate with fireworks?” you might ask. Actually, they do! There’s also food and drink, and many people dress in traditional customs. The whole country is decorated in lights and the national flag. It sounds much like our own Independence Day (except our tradition customs = bikinis and cut off shorts), but Kuwait actually gained independence on June 19th. Instead, February 25th marks the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah – the sheikh who was in power at the time of independence – ascended the throne in 1950. The first National Day holiday actually took place on June 19th, 1962, but it was felt that the holiday should be moved due to the extreme heat in June. Beginning in 1963, the National Day was moved to 25 February.

Machboos is said to be the national dish of Kuwait. It refers to the way rice is cooked in this dish: in the broth from the meat, making it rich and flavorful. The extra saffron ghee I decided to toss in with it certainly didn’t hurt either. There are three traditional components to the dish: the meat (traditionally chicken or lamb), the stuffing (yellow split pea, raisin, onion, and spice) and the basmati rice. Ironically, the stuffing is not actually stuffed into anything, but is instead mixed with the meat. I couldn’t find the yellow peas, so I actually used green split peas instead. For the rice, I used a brown basmati so I could pretend it was healthy.

Because it felt fairly indulgent for just the two of us eat lamb and saffron, I invited a couple dear friends over to join us. We didn’t have any actual fireworks, but I’d say we celebrated the National Day of Kuwait in style!

Recipe Source: Saffron Pudding

Steps

1 Done	Wash and drain rice several times until water runs clear from the rice, cover with water and mix with 1 tsp salt. Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with water. In a third bowl, combine saffron threads and 2 Tbsp water.
2 Done	In a large dutch oven, combine meat cubes with 10 cubs of water, all whole spices ( cinnamon, peppercorn, gloves, cardamom pops and bay leaves), salt and small onion. Bring to boil. Once water has come to boil discard the froth that has come on top with a spoon. Cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
3 Done	Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Put split peas in a small saucepan and cover with water (about 2 cups) and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce to a summer; cook for 20 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain and set aside.
4 Done	In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chopped onions and sauté until tender and golden brown. Add cooked split beans and drained raisins. Add cinnamon, cloves, salt, sugar and black pepper and cook a few more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5 Done	When the meat has about 40 minutes left, begin your rice. Drain rice from water. In a medium saucepan put rice and pour meat stock over it until stock covers rice by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice absorbs all the liquid and is cooked and fluffy, about 30-40 minutes.
6 Done	After the meat has simmered for 90 minutes, set a colander over a large ball and drain the lamb cubes. Save the stock and discard whole spices.
7 Done	In a small bowl mix all the ground spices, plus more salt if needed (taste the meat to see if it needs more salt). Mix 1 Tbs of the saffron water with 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp melted ghee and 1 Tbsp of the meat stock. Toss meat with ground spices and saffron mixture and spread on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
8 Done	Add the remaining melted ghee to the remaining saffron water and toss over fully cooked rice.
9 Done	Toss the lamb with the stuffing. Serve over rice.