Lamb Shoulder Jareesh with Garlic Tasha

Method

1. Rinse the jareesh until the water runs clearer, then soak it in plenty of water for 30 min. If you have time, soak it overnight for an even softer, creamier result.

   Add in this stepJareesh (coarsely cracked whole wheat) 140 g

2. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. Heat the ghee in a heavy 22 cm pot on medium-high heat, add the lamb and sear for 8 min, turning, until deep brown on all sides. Work in batches if the pot is crowded; packed meat steams instead of browning.

   Add in this stepGhee (for searing) 1 tbspBone-in lamb shoulder, in large pieces 450 g

   medium-high heat

3. Add the quartered onion, cardamom, cinnamon, pierced loomi, half the cumin and the pepper and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the water with half the salt and scrape up the brown bits on the bottom. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim, then turn down to low heat, set the lid ajar and simmer for 1 h, until the lamb is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

   Add in this stepOnion (for the broth) 1Green cardamom pods, lightly crushed 4Cinnamon stick 1Loomi (dried lime) 1Ground cumin ¾ tspBlack pepper ½ tspWater 1,400 mlSalt 0.6 tsp

   high heat→low heat

4. Lift out the lamb and strain the broth through a sieve into a clean pot, discarding the spices and onion. Add the drained jareesh and simmer on low heat for 50 min, stirring to the bottom every 5 minutes and adding hot water if it gets too thick. Meanwhile, pull the lamb off the bone into bite-sized pieces.

   low heat

5. Mix the yogurt and milk, warm it with a ladle of hot porridge, then add it to the pot with the lamb and the rest of the salt. Cook on low heat for 10 min, beating hard with a wooden spoon to break the grains into a creamy porridge. Keep it at a gentle bubble so the yogurt does not split.

   Add in this stepPlain yogurt 120 gMilk 180 mlSalt 0.6 tsp

   low heat

6. Heat the tasha ghee in a 18 cm frying pan on medium heat and fry the thinly sliced onion for 10 min until deep brown. Add the thinly sliced garlic for the last 2 minutes, only until pale gold, then the remaining cumin and crumbled chilli for the last 30 seconds. Take it off the heat at once: garlic turns bitter if it goes brown.

   Add in this stepGhee (for the tasha) 2 tbspOnion (for the tasha) 1Garlic cloves 3Ground cumin ¾ tspDried red chilli 1

   medium heat

7. Spoon the porridge onto plates, make a well and pour in the tasha with its ghee. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over just before eating; the acidity lifts the rich lamb.

   Add in this stepLemon, cut into wedges ½