Serves 4-6

Adapted from BBC Good Food

For Lamb:

• ½ teaspoon saffron

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as avocado oil

• 1¾-2 pounds (800-900 grams) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into cubes

• 2 onions, diced

• 4-5 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon allspice

• 1 tablespoon salt

• ½ tablespoon pepper

• 1 cup (250 milliliters) lamb or chicken stock

• ¼ pound (100 grams) dried apricots (about 12-14 apricots), coarsely chopped

• ¼ pound (100 grams) cooked chestnuts (canned or vacuum-packed), coarsely chopped

• ½ lemon, juiced

• ½ teaspoon sumac

• 3 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped

For Peanut-Turmeric Rice:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• ½ onion, diced

• 1½ cups (~250 grams) basmati rice, uncooked

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• Vegetable stock, for cooking rice

  • I do 1 part rice to 1½ parts water/stock, so for this recipe I’d use 2¼ cup stock. But use the rice to water/stock ratio you normally use to cook rice

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• ¼ cup (30 grams) roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For Lamb:

1. Put the saffron in a small bowl and pour in ⅓ cup (75 milliliters) of boiling water. Let the saffron sit for 30 minutes until the water is a deep yellow color.

2. Meanwhile, set a large pan over medium-high heat. As the pan is heating up, add the vegetable oil. You’ll need to work in batches as you don’t want to crowd the pan, but once the oil is hot, brown the lamb all over. Transfer the browned lamb to a bowl and set aside.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same pan you cooked the lamb, fry the onions in the residual fat in the pan until golden and glassy, about 6-8 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and garlic, and let them cook until the tomatoes have softened a bit and released their moisture, about 5-8 minutes.

5. Stir in the cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper until well mixed in with the veggies. Let everything cook for 2-3 minutes, before returning the lamb to the pan.

6. Pour in the stock and infused saffron water. Bring to just under boiling and tip in the apricots and chestnuts. Stir through until mixed in. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preferences.

7. Reduce the heat to low (you want it to slowly simmer), cover and cook until the lamb is soft and tender, about 1-1½ hours.

   • While the lamb is cooking, start prepping the rice

8. When ready to serve the lamb, add the lemon juice, sumac, and coriander in with the lamb and mix until well blended.

For Peanut-Turmeric Rice:

1. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. As the pan heats up, add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and fry until glassy, about 6-8 minutes.

2. Regardless of how you cook your rice (in a pot or rice cooker), add the rice, turmeric, vegetable stock, and fried onions to the pot/rice cooker. Stir everything together until the turmeric has blended in with the stock and the onions seem evenly dispersed amongst the rice.

3. Cook the rice how you normally cook your rice.

4. Once the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and mix in the green onions and roasted peanuts until fully incorporated.

5. Serve the lamb alongside the peanut-turmeric rice.

6. Enjoy!