Entree: Djibouti – Central Culinary Region – Mukbasa (Djiboutian spiced rice and meat pilaf cooked with aromatic spices and caramelized onions)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 45 min

Cook 1 hr 45 min

Additional 10 min

Total 2 hrs 40 min

Ingredients

- 2 bone-in lamb shanks, approx. 1 lb (450 g) each
- 2 cups (390 g) basmati rice
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) ghee or clarified butter
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced, approx. 16 oz (450 g) total
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 12 g)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 4 cups (960 ml) lamb or chicken stock
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (3 g) turmeric
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) cayenne pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until runoff is clear, then soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring often, until deeply caramelized, about 25–30 minutes. Remove half the onions and reserve for garnish; keep the remainder in the pot.
3. Increase heat to medium-high, add remaining oil. Season the lamb shanks with 1/2 tsp salt and brown on all sides in the pot, 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and ginger to the pot and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and toast 1–2 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne, and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Return the lamb to the pot and add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the lamb is very tender, about 1¼–1½ hours.
6. Remove the lamb shanks and set aside to cool slightly. Skim off excess fat from the surface and measure the cooking liquid; you want about 3 cups (720 ml) for the rice step (reduce by simmering if necessary).
7. Add the drained rice to the pot with the reserved braising liquid. Stir once, then nestle the lamb pieces into the rice, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15–20 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, remove and discard whole spices and bay leaves, and break lamb into serving-size pieces if desired.
9. Spoon Mukbasa onto a platter, top with reserved caramelized onions and chopped cilantro, and serve with lemon wedges.