Entree: Indonesia – Indonesian Muslim Festival Cuisine – Nasi Kebuli (Fragrant spiced rice cooked with meat, ghee, and rich broth commonly served at Muslim celebrations in Indonesia)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 35 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Additional 10 min

Total 1 hr 55 min

Ingredients

- 3 cups (555 g) basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
- 1.5 lb (680 g) goat shoulder or lamb, boneless and cut into 1–1.5 inch (2.5–3.8 cm) pieces
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) ghee or clarified butter
- 3 cups (720 ml) beef, goat, or chicken broth, warm
- 1 cup (240 ml) evaporated milk
- 2 medium onions, about 10 oz (280 g) total, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 12 g)
- 2 cinnamon sticks (about 6 g)
- 8 green cardamom pods (about 6 g), lightly crushed
- 4 whole cloves (about 2 g)
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (75 g) raisins or sultanas
- 1/3 cup (45 g) fried shallots for garnish
- 2 tbsp (6 g) chopped fresh cilantro or celery leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat 3 tbsp (45 ml) ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until deep golden brown, about 15–20 minutes. Remove half the fried onions and set aside for garnish.
2. In the same pot, add remaining ghee, sauté the garlic briefly, then add the spice whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves) and ground spices (cumin, coriander, nutmeg, pepper) and toast 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the meat pieces and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the warm broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and braise gently until meat is tender, about 45–60 minutes depending on cut. Remove meat and keep broth; shred or leave in bite-sized pieces as preferred.
4. Strain the braising liquid into a measuring jug and add evaporated milk; you should have about 3 1/2 to 4 cups (840–960 ml) combined liquid. Adjust with additional warm water or broth if needed.
5. In a large pot, melt remaining 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) ghee, add the rinsed rice and briefly sauté 1–2 minutes to coat. Add the combined liquid, salt, raisins, and the browned meat (or keep meat aside and layer on top). Stir once to distribute.
6. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and steam 18–20 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed. Turn off heat and let rest covered 10 minutes.
7. Fluff rice with a fork, transfer to a serving platter, top with reserved fried onions and chopped cilantro, and serve with extra shredded meat, yogurt or acar (pickles) if desired.