Ground Lamb Pulao
Updated May 18, 2021
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups basmati rice
- 1½pounds ground lamb or beef
- 1teaspoon ghee, unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 4garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 2tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1½teaspoons garam masala
- ½teaspoon red chile powder
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- 2teaspoons kosher salt
- 3tablespoons lime juice
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1bunch scallions (about 6), trimmed and thinly sliced
- ¼cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
853 calories; 42 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 36 grams protein; 737 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Check the rice and discard any debris. Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water by 1 inch, and soak for 30 minutes.
- Step 2
As the rice soaks, cook the lamb: Place a medium saucepan with a heavy lid or a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the saucepan is hot, break the lamb into chunks, and cook until the fat renders, about 2 minutes. Drain most of the fat, leaving behind 1 to 2 tablespoons, and continue to cook the lamb until it browns, another 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the ghee and heat over medium until it melts, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute.
- Step 4
Add the garam masala, chile powder, black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt and sauté until the spices are fragrant, 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and stir until the flavors come together, about 1 minute.
- Step 5
Transfer the lamb mixture to a large bowl and keep warm. (To do so, you could transfer it to a 250-degree oven.) Clean the saucepan and wipe dry.
- Step 6
Drain the soaked rice. Add to the same saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice, the turmeric and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, and reduce heat to simmer until the rice absorbs all the water, about 10 minutes. (Do not stir the rice as it cooks, or the grains might break.) Remove the saucepan from heat, and let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Step 7
Stir the rice into the cooked lamb mixture, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice. Fold the scallions and mint into the rice, and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Barb, your intuition's right. Many variants of pulao (or biryani) call for browning 1-2 chopped onions, though separately. (You can use the rendered fat from Step 2, which has a lot of flavor). Combine half the onion with the rice at the start of Step 6, half after it's cooked at the end of Step 7. The Middle Eastern lentil-and-rice dish mujaddara also uses browned onions - liberally - this way to elevate what would otherwise be an indifferent dish.
Absolutely delicious overall. Two comments I’d add are: 1) there is just no need for presoaking the rice that I can discern. Basmati rice is usually only a 15 minute simmer using the same exact procedure. 2) the teaspoon of salt at the rice stage was a bit slim. The rice definitely was under seasoned. Loved this and will definitely make again!
Jim - in India, "red chili powder" refers to cayenne - the commonest cultivar grown there. But you're right- even in Indian stores here, there are 3 varieties: Kashmiri (mild, like paprika), regular (no qualifier - presumably what this recipe calls for) and Extra-hot. Growing conditions determine heat - with water restriction and hot weather, the chili plant produces more capsaicin (a defensive molecule). See Amal Naj's excellent book "Peppers: a Story of Hot Pursuits".
Bland. Here’s a way to jack it up To the lamb: one chopped onion white onion or shallot and more garlic. 1 FULL teaspoon Cayenne. More lime juice To the rice: 4-5 cardamon pods tapped open with the back seeds exposed. To the mint and scallions: 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, figs or dates, 1/2 cup slivered almonds Serve with plain white yogurt with chopped fresh dill, lemons juice, cracked pepper and pressed garlic. Put a hot harissa pepper sauce on the table Serve with cucumber salad (rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, cracked white pepper)
I love this and the flavors. I also made this once using more ground lamb that I formed into meatball to be eaten in naan bread.
I loved it! Used half lamb and half beef, because lamb can be gamy. The spiced added a wonderful Persian flavor and the lime juice lightened it up. I actually made this with pearl couscous instead of rice and just cooked it separately and mixed with meat.
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