Slow-Roasted Lamb Mandi with Lamb-Juice Basmati
Feast-day mandi: lamb rubbed with freshly toasted spices, slow-roasted for over two hours until it falls off the bone, with rice cooked in its juices and kissed with charcoal smoke.
Method
Toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns and most of the cardamom in a small dry pan over medium-low heat for , shaking, until fragrant; tip out to cool, then grind finely (use only the cardamom seeds).
Add in this stepCumin seeds 1 tspCoriander seeds 1 tspBlack peppercorns ½ tspGreen cardamom pods 3
medium-low heatFinely chop most of the garlic and mix with the ground spices, turmeric, half the salt and part of the melted ghee to a paste. Make a few cuts in the lamb, rub the paste all over, cover and refrigerate for at least , ideally overnight. Take it out 30 minutes before roasting.
Add in this stepGround turmeric ½ tspGarlic cloves 2.4Salt 1 tspGhee 0.9 tbspBone-in lamb shoulder or shanks 700 g
Preheat the oven (160 °C · 25×20 cm = temperature and dish size). Lay half the onions, thickly sliced, in the dish, add the water and pierced dried limes, and set the lamb on top. Cover tightly with foil and roast for , until a fork slides in easily and the meat comes away from the bone. Lift out the lamb, skim a little fat from the juices in the dish and keep them.
Add in this stepOnions ½Water 300 mlDried limes (loomi), pierced 1
ovenMelt ghee in a 20 cm pot, add the rest of the onion, finely sliced, and cook over medium heat for until light golden. Add the remaining cardamom, the cinnamon, cloves, bay and the drained rice and stir for 1 minute, then pour in the lamb juices topped up with water to about 1.8 times the rice weight and season with part of the remaining salt. When it boils, cover, lower to low heat and cook for .
Add in this stepGhee 0.9 tbspOnions ½Green cardamom pods 2Cinnamon stick (about 5 cm) 1Cloves 3Bay leaves 1Basmati rice (rinsed and soaked 20 minutes) 180 gSalt ¾ tsp
medium heat→low heatMeanwhile, raise the oven to 220 °C and roast the lamb uncovered for , until the outside is deep brown and crisp.
ovenHold a piece of charcoal with tongs over a gas flame on high heat for , until it glows red all over. Set the lamb on the rice, put the coal in a foil cup in the centre, drip ghee on it and cover at once; smoke for . Do this with the extractor on and a window open.
Add in this stepNatural lump charcoal (for smoking) 1Ghee 0.6 tbsp
high heatMelt the remaining ghee in a 16 cm small pan over medium-low heat and toast the almonds for , stirring constantly as they burn quickly, until golden; add the raisins and stir until plump.
Add in this stepGhee 0.6 tbspFlaked almonds 20 gRaisins 20 g
medium-low heatFor the daqqus, blitz the tomatoes, chilli, coriander and remaining garlic until smooth and season with lemon juice and the last of the salt. Remove the charcoal cup, spread the rice on a large platter, top with the lamb, scatter over the almonds and raisins, and serve with the daqqus.
Add in this stepTomatoes 1Green chilli ½Coriander (cilantro) 5 gGarlic cloves 0.6Lemon ½Salt ¼ tsp
Cook's tip
Use a cut on the bone: its juices and gelatine make the rice rich and savoury. If the liquid in the dish runs low during roasting, add a splash of hot water. Marinating the day before gives a much deeper flavour.
Cooking it at camp
With a Dutch oven you can make the real thing at camp. Bring the marinated lamb in a cooler, cook it slowly in the Dutch oven over coals (with coals on the lid too) for 2–3 hours, then cook the rice in the juices in the same pot. One coal from the fire is all you need for the smoke.