Xinjiang Lamb Pilaf (Yangrou Zhuafan,羊肉抓饭)
The Mala MarketIngredients
- 1 pound lamb from the leg, neck or ribs
- 1½ ounces lamb fat (if your lamb is very fatty, you might not need this; pork or beef fat will also work)
- 14 ounces (just over 2 cups) medium grain rice, such as Calrose, Nishiki or basmati
- 1 small red onion
- 2 yellow carrots
- 1 orange carrot
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¾ cup yellow or green raisins
Instructions
- Cut the lamb into roughly ¾-inch cubes and then soak in cold water for 20–30 minutes. This removes the gamier flavor that sometimes comes with lamb. Cut the lamb fat (if using) into smaller chunks but don’t soak this.
- Wash the rice; this is a crucial step so the rice becomes fluffy: Put the rice into a large bowl, add enough water to cover the rice, then stir with your fingers until the water becomes cloudy. Drain off the water, making sure not to lose rice down the drain. Repeat the washing until the water runs clear; this might take 3–4 rinses.
- Cut the onion into thin slices, then peel the carrots and cut them into batons about 2 inches long and ⅛-inch thick.
- Drain the lamb, pat it dry and season it with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. The lamb must be very dry or it won’t brown in the wok.
- Heat your wok over a medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add the lamb fat and cook until it starts to melt and color. While this is heating, set a kettle of water on to boil with at least 5½ cups of water in it.
- Add the lamb, onions and the white and black ground pepper to the wok, then stir-fry everything until the meat is browned. Add the carrots to the wok and stir-fry for another minute. Drizzle the honey over everything and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir-fry everything, mixing it all together for another minute.
- Pour 4¼ cups of the hot water into the wok. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it comes to a simmer. Cook everything on a low heat until the lamb is tender, usually 30–45 minutes.
- Sprinkle the rice over the stew, then use a spatula to spread it out evenly over the meat and carrots. Push and flatten it down, so most of the rice is submerged. Scatter the raisins over the rice. Place a lid onto the wok, and cook everything on a low heat for 15 minutes—don’t stir the rice at this point!
- After 15 minutes, taste the rice; if it’s not yet soft, but the wok is dry, add ½ cup water. This will depend on the type of rice; some absorb water quicker and some take longer to cook. Either way, re-cover the wok and cook everything for another 10 minutes or so, checking on the mixture occasionally (adding another ½ cup of water if needed). You want all the water to be absorbed so the mixture is not liquidy, but you don’t want to cook everything for so long that the rice starts to burn in the pan. Check to make sure that the meat is soft, the rice is cooked through, the broth has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy (not sticky).
- Remove the lid and mix the rice and meat together, scooping your spoon all the way to the bottom of the wok and flipping the lower ingredients up onto the top of the mixture, to blend all the flavors. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
- Once you have finished cooking, leave the wok covered for five minutes or so. This allows the dish to gently steam while cooling down slightly. This dish is not usually served piping hot, just slightly warm.
Notes
This recipe works well as written, but for the best result, try splitting it in half and cooking the ingredients in two separate woks. The rice at the top and center of each wok will cook more evenly, and you'll get better flavor throughout the dish.