Middle Eastern Lamb Pilaf
This year I hosted Christmas Day at my house. One of the dishes I served was roast lamb. Now I intentionally cooked too much as I wanted there to be leftovers, as I did not want to cook on Boxing Day. Now I know this is still cooking, but this is so quick and easy to make, that it seriously doesn't feel like cooking, and more importantly, I bought all the ingredients earlier, so I didn't have to go shopping.
This really was a fast dish to make. The dish is ready in about 20-30 minutes, with minimal effort. The only thing I will mention, if you want the lamb shredded do it while it is still warm, as cold lamb doesn't really shred, but I just sliced it thinly instead.
At first my husband wasn't sure he would like it, as the aromas are middle eastern and not something we are used to eating. But after trying he, he loved it, as did my kids. We definitely all wanted to eat this again.
So if you have leftover lamb, and I'll probably make sure from now on, I always will, this is a great way to use it up.
This really was a fast dish to make. The dish is ready in about 20-30 minutes, with minimal effort. The only thing I will mention, if you want the lamb shredded do it while it is still warm, as cold lamb doesn't really shred, but I just sliced it thinly instead.
At first my husband wasn't sure he would like it, as the aromas are middle eastern and not something we are used to eating. But after trying he, he loved it, as did my kids. We definitely all wanted to eat this again.
So if you have leftover lamb, and I'll probably make sure from now on, I always will, this is a great way to use it up.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from www.taste.com.au/
Serves 4
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
3 cups cold shredded leftover cooked lamb
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed
Serves 4
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
3 cups cold shredded leftover cooked lamb
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until onion is soft. Add rice. Stir to coat in mixture. Add stock, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 teaspoons cumin and chickpeas. Stir to combine. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork to separate grains.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of remaining oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add lamb. Sprinkle with remaining curry powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring once, until the lamb is browned and heated through. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add rice mixture, currants, coriander, parsley, lemon juice and remaining oil to the lamb. Toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.
Enjoy!