This aromatic rice dish is a tasty representative of the many cultures that make up the Balkans, the southeastern area of Europe. Many ancient cultures have settled and re-settled this region which gives rise to a diverse set of languages and culinary fare. Lamb, raisins and pine nuts come together harmoniously in this savory but slightly fruity rice dish.
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Yay for us! This dish is also easy with easy to find ingredients. The recipe is adapted from a vintage cookbook called Encyclopedia of World Cookery. I omitted the liver as Mr. Craftiness wouldn’t approve and swapped raisins for currants as I couldn’t find any at my local grocer. An interesting note, some old cookbooks lack details like baking temps and “1/2 tsp of mixed spice”. There is some guesswork which is part of the fun.
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Lamb Pilaf Recipe from the Balkans
A tasty rice dish from the Balkans with lamb.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups white rice
- 8 oz lamb, cut into 1/4 inch cubes or ground lamb
- 5 cups broth, your choice
- 4 oz bacon fat or other rendered fat of choice
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- salt to taste (You may not need any if your broth is salty)
- 1/2 cup of raisins or currants
- 2 oz pine nuts
- 1 tsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp sage, chopped
Instructions
- In large pot over medium-high heat melt fat, fry lamb until cooked through, set aside in small bowl.
- Add onion to pot and cook onion until soft. Add nuts and rice and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add salt, pepper, raisins, tomato and broth. Lower heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes.
- Add parsley, sage and lamb and cover and cook 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and rest for 5 minutes without peeking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 397Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 274mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 14g