Meat and fruit Pilaf

From my personal Authentic Recipe Collection

This dish makes a delicious, festive main meal or center meal.  Serve with chutney, kachumber (diced cucumber, tomato and onion salsa) and lentil soup.

This recipe is easy to make, and but can take time to prepare.  

Ingredients    -      Serves  6-9

2 oz.[1/4 cup] butter
2 onions, sliced
1 -inch piece of fresh root ginger peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove,crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon coriander seeds crushed
1 teaspoon  cardmom seeds crushed
1 teaspoon peppercorns crushed
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 lb.boned leg of lamb,cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 oz.[2/3 cup] dried apricots
4 oz.[2/3 cup] sultanas or seedless raisins
2 oz.[1/2 cup] cashew nuts,slit in half
2 oz.[1/2 cup] silvered almonds
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
15 fl.oz.[1 7/8 cups] chicken stock
3 pints [7 1/2 cups] water
12 0z.[2 cups] basmati rice, washed, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
1 1/2 oz. [3 tablespoons] butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 10 minutes
2 oz.[1/2 cup] pistachio nuts

Preparation

• In a medium -sized  saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions,ginger and garlic and fry,stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent but not brown. Add the cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper corns and cinnamon and fry, stirring constantly for 2 minutes
• 
  
Add the lamb cubes and fry, turning the cubes over frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are browned. Add the apricots, sultanas or raisins, cashew nuts, half the almonds, the bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Pour in the chicken stock, cover the pan and simmer the mixture for 35 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick Set aside and keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to moderate 350' F (Gas Mark 4, 180 C).
• 
  
In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil over high heat. Add the remaining; salt and the rice and boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the rice in a strainer.
• 
  
Pour 1 tablespoon of the melted butter into a large ovenproof casserole. Put one third of the rice in the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle the rice with one third of the saffron water. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the meat and fruit mixture to the casserole. Put in another one-third of the rice and saffron water. Add the remaining meat and fruit mixture, reserving the pan juices. Finish with a last layer of rice sprinkled with the remaining saffron water. Pour over all the reserved pan juices. Sprinkle the top with the pistachio nuts, the remaining almonds and the remaining melted butter.
• 
  
Cover the casserole and put it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and serve the pilaff immediately.

Serve Meat and Fruit Pilaff with lots of yogurt,poppadums and chutney.

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