Afghan Kabuli Palaw (Rice with Lamb, Carrots and Raisins)

About This Recipe

Afghan Kabuli Palaw is a real, traditional Afghan dish, known as Rice with Lamb, Carrots and Raisins. Rice cooked in a fragrant lamb broth, topped with sweet caramelized carrots and raisins, Afghanistan's national dish.\n\nKabuli palaw, named after Afghanistan's capital, is served at nearly every important Afghan celebration and gathering, its combination of sweet carrots and raisins over savory rice and lamb reflecting a beloved balance found throughout Afghan cuisine.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Afghan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 kglamb shoulder(bone-in, cut into pieces)
• 4 tbspneutral oil
• 2yellow onions(diced)
• 4 cupswater
• 3 cupslong-grain basmati rice(rinsed and soaked)
• 4carrots(julienned)
• 100 graisins
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground cardamom
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 3 tbspslivered almonds(to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the lamb

   Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown the lamb pieces with onions until deeply colored, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Braise the lamb

   Add water, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until the lamb is very tender. Reserve the broth.

3. 3

   Caramelize the carrots

   In a separate pan, cook the julienned carrots with a bit of sugar until softened and caramelized, then add raisins and cook briefly until plump.

4. 4

   Cook the rice

   Parboil the soaked rice in salted water for 6 minutes, then drain.

5. 5

   Layer and steam

   In the lamb pot, layer the parboiled rice over the lamb, add reserved broth to just cover, sprinkle with cumin, cardamom and salt, cover tightly, and steam over low heat for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve

   Mound the rice on a platter, arrange the lamb on top or alongside, and finish with the caramelized carrots, raisins and slivered almonds.

Variations

• •

  Some regions add a few strands of saffron to the rice for extra color and aroma.

• •

  Use chicken instead of lamb for a lighter, faster-cooking version.

• •

  Add pistachios alongside almonds for extra texture and color.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions