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Easy Lamb Pilaf

Posted on October 11, 2020June 21, 2021 By Alexandra Wong 4 Comments on Easy Lamb Pilaf

I never, ever thought I would cook lamb, let alone lamb pilaf.

For a long time, I was under the impression that lamb/mutton needs hours of pre-boiling to soften the tough meat, until recently.

Using my Le Creuset Dutch Oven and Made-in-Malaysia mixed spice brand Opah Herbs, I attempted to cook lamb shoulder. To my amazement, the meat became soft and succulent in under an hour! Just to assure myself it was no fluke, I made it a few more times – and they all turned out well. The secret? The combination of using the softest part of the lamb (shoulder), a Dutch Oven and the herbs.

Best of all, the dish was super easy to make.

So yesterday I decided to level up by making lamb pilaf.

How do I describe lamb pilaf? To call it “rice cooked together with lamb, aromatics and spices” would be selling it short. Yes, the flavourful and fork-tender meat is delicious, but to me, the best part of the dish is the rice.

All that fat is liquid gold in terms of flavour

Cooked slowly in the liquids released by the meat and vegetables, the rice ends up thoroughly coated with the melted fats from the lamb and infused with the flavours of the aromatics and spices.

Add the sweetness from the caramelized carrots, onions and shallots and … mama mia! Each grain is an umami bomb waiting to explode in your mouth. In other words, this was orgasmic-level deliciousness.

Many thanks to Kak Teh, founder of Opah Herbs, for giving me the courage to attempt to cook lamb. For this recipe, I used Opah Herbs’ instructions as a guide, though I made a few adjustments to suit my personal preferences and ingredient availability. No complaints there. Hubby and I scraped the pot clean, literally. The kerak nasi (burnt crust) is the best part of the dish, as any South East Asian will tell you!

Opah Herbs add loads of delicious flavour to your dishes

To order Opah Herbs, visit their website

Easy Lamb Pilaf

Impress your guests with this lamb pilaf that's bursting with flavour and best of all, super easy to make!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Middle East
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Dutch oven

Ingredients
  

  • 250g boneless lamb shoulder, cut into cubes

  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 small carrot, julienned
  • 2-3 tbsp Opah herbs (See Recipe Notes 1)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-2 tbsp fried shallots
  • Rice for two people, washed
  • Handful roasted cashewnuts, unsalted
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Water

Instructions
 

  • Heat up oil in Dutch oven and add onions. Cook until soft; they don't have to be caramelized.
  • Add lamb, carrots, Opah herbs, star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin and coriander powder, pepper and salt, half a cup of water and 2 tbs of lemon juice. Cover with lid and cook over low heat for 45 min.
  • Open lid and check for seasoning and tenderness of the lamb. If not soft enough, you can continue cooking it for another 10-15 minutes. If there's not enough gravy, add a few tablespoons of water to avoid burning. (Recipe Notes 2)
  • Once lamb is done, add equal amounts of rice and water, followed by cashews and fried shallots. Mix everything roughly.
  • Cover with lid and continue cooking over low heat until water has dried up and rice is fluffy and individually separated. Serve with a cucumber raita (See Recipe Notes 3).

Notes

  1. For cooking lamb, I prefer to use either Opah Mediterranean Mix or Opah Lamb/Beef Mix. 
  2. The dryness/sauciness of your dish will depend on the fat content of your lamb and the water content of your vegetables, so adjust accordingly by adding water if necessary. 
  3. For a simple cucumber raita, grate cucumber into a bowl, add several tbsp of yogurt and season with salt and pepper. That's it!
  4. Go for Aus/NZ lamb shoulder if you want meat that can be cooked to tenderness and doesn't have gameyness. I didn't have to spend hours pre-boiling my lamb.
Keyword one-pot meal
Post Views: 795
Beef & Lamb, Middle Eastern, One-pot meal Tags:lamb, one-pan meal, rice

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Comments (4) on “Easy Lamb Pilaf”

  1. JIN says:
    June 22, 2021 at 12:36 am

    Hi Alexandra! I am drooling after reading this post. I would like to give this a go but do not have Opah herbs. Can you recommend some alternatives? Hope to hear from you.

    Reply
    1. Alexandra Wong says:
      June 22, 2021 at 9:06 am

      Hi Jin, thanks for dropping by! 🙂 As Opah herbs is basically Opah’s personal interpretation of Italian herbs according to her own tastebuds, I believe you can recreate this using other Italian mixed herbs as well, just that the flavour might be slightly different. I would like to add one more thing here. Do lift the lid from time to time as you might need to add liquids (water or stock also ok). The first one or two times I made this, I cooked it on too high a flame and ended up with burnt bits at the bottom. Due to inexperience back then, I didn’t know that Le Creuset dutch oven can retain so much heat. Still tasty though haha 🙂 Good luck!!

      Reply
  2. samantha lago says:
    January 7, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    very nice recipe … btw, is le creuset pot worth it? other than the fancy color, it works like any regular claypot cookware right?

    Reply
    1. Alexandra Wong says:
      January 11, 2022 at 10:43 am

      OMG, I swear I was having the exact thoughts yesterday! I suspect they work the same way but there are some key differences. One, you can’t put the claypot into the oven and two, I’m not sure if the claypot can handle long braises like the Le Creuset, which is what I use it (LC) for mainly. But there is one thing that I find the claypot does better. I tried cooking rice in both the LC and claypot, and I find it much easier to do it in the latter. I can’t really say if the LC is worth it. I was lucky that my hubby bought it over 30 years ago when it hadn’t hit 4 figures prices yet. I know that I would baulk at paying so much for a pot haha! ^^

      Reply

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Who’s Ipohbunny, lah?

Welcome!

I’m Alexandra Wong, a self-taught Malaysian home cook on a mission to simplify and healthify recipes using affordable quality ingredients. I am a writer by profession, mostly known for my feelgood stories about people, travel and food.

ipohbunny

I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacr I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacred territory.

My mum used to make it. Her cakes were wondrously crumbly and moist, and filled with so many goodies (We Ipoh people call it "toh liu") that nothing sold outside has ever, ever come close. 

Until @grumpyoldman_bakes

I didn't plan on ordering his cake, honestly. But I'd had to rush back to Ipoh for an emergency, and after some very stressful days, I figured I deserve a cake. Cakes make everything better right?

I'd read him waxing lyrical about his carrot cake and against my better judgement, I decided to order one. Gulp, risky. But what's life without some risk?

He was so sweet and helpful in his interactions, and even tolerated my unnecessary rambling (I express to destress). 

When I popped the box lid open, I gasped at how pretty it was. The whole cake was covered in thick frosting and topped with fresh walnuts. 

And then I cut a slice for mum and was even more shocked. You could see the grated carrot and nuts - it was so generous portioned - but the proof was in the tasting. MUm's tasting, to be exact.

She took a  bite and smiled approvingly. "It's so moist inside!"

That is the HIGHEST compliment, in my opinion, one can ever pay a carrot cake. So many out there guilty of dry, pebbly abominations. 

I took a bite and immediately noticed how fresh it tasted. And, I realised, tears springing to my eyes, how close it was to Mum's version, which I last ate more than 20 years ago. 

Thank you Chris for awakening these wonderful memories. 

#carrotcake #grumpyoldmanbakes #ipohbaker #homebaker #ipohhomebaker
I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlo I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlocked

It was not bad, just too salty but I have an idea where I went wrong

1. I initially soaked the slab of fish in a mixture of salt, sugar, star anise, peppercorn - and pickle juice because one of the chef recipes indicated so. 

2. However, when I read some other recipes, I realised none of them recommended soaking the fish in any liquid. In fact the salt is supposed to draw the liquid out of the salmon. True enough, when I checked the salmon after 18 hours, I found the flesh was still soft and raw. I suspected the culprit was the brine, so I poured it away. 

3. Then I packed on some more salt and wrapped it tightly in cling film and poked holes to let the liquid drain. I did it this way because I feel nervous about putting a heavy slab on top of the fish - scared the weight will break the fridge shelves!

4. Anyway, I think my method worked because after 36 hours, the flesh had firmed up visibly so I knew curing had taken place. Yay!

5. I could slice it quite easily, even though I didn't have a sharp knife. However, it was definitely too salty. More Googling. Turns out that I should use coarse kosher salt, instead of regular table salt otherwise the salmon would be too salty. Ah.

All in all, a pretty decent effort for a first timer. One more notch on my culinary belt :)

Edit: Just had an idea. I can always make salmon pate. By mixing the salmon with other ingredients, I redistribute the saltiness, so the salt is less concentrated. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPUfeKMpdGB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

#salmongravlax #homemadegravlax #homecooking #Malaysianhomecook #cookwithipohbunny #ipohbunnyrecipes #fish #easyrecipe
OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram bait - and I'm an unapologetic Gen Xer with the heart of a #cafehopping Gen Z-er 😀

I wanted to come since spotting it on @penangfoodie So did half the Penang Gen Z population too. Though I think my hubby and I probably increased the median age by at least 20 years when we stepped in, haha! 

Flat white (RM14) and hot chocolate (RM16) were watery. Cakes looked generic, so didn't feel like trying. Hope the food will improve, cos the place is damn gorgeous.

Nice for people watching. 

#penangcafes #penangfoodie #cafehoppg #coffee #coffeegram #malaysiancafes #cafegram #cafespotting
@oowhitecoffee So did this super popular upmarket @oowhitecoffee

So did this super popular upmarket kopitiam live up to the hype?

One sentence: Come for the coffee. Which is really what made this place famous. Mum kept raving about how good her "kopi oh ping" was and my Kopi ais was excellent too. You can take away the coffee in convenient bottles too, which I found out is quite common in Penang outlets with a strong coffee brand like Stall 76 Batu Lanchang, SBK Concept etc. 

Other pros: clean, comfortable, elderly-friendly environment. When asked how his chicken hor fun was, Dad commented, "Tastier than the Ipoh version." He downed the whole bowl of soup! Both their HK and Portuguese egg tarts were well made. 

The cons: Mum was not impressed with the hokkien mee. In fact, I have yet to find one in Penang that meets her sky-high standards. As for my nasi lemak I believe I can cook better sambal and rice lah 😅 (thank you @che_nom) though the tasty fried chicken made up for it. Hubs' tan chi (softboiled egg over buttered toast) was nothing to shout about but he did say the bread was good, as it was soft and had body, like brioche. 

Be forewarned. If you arrive after 8am on a weekend, good luck to you circling around the area looking for parking. I dragged my parents out at 7.20am. We came before twice at 9+am and lunchtime, both unsuccessful because there was just no parking in the vicinity. Oh and expect higher than average Penang prices, though I think KL folks won't feel much pain paying RM10+ for a bowl of noodles 😂

#oowhitecoffee #foodblogger #Malaysianfoodblogger #kopitiam #penangfood #Penangkopitiam #Malaysianfoodie #penangcafe
After trying out so many famous #Nyonyarestaurant After trying out so many famous  #Nyonyarestaurants, Bibik's Kitchen remains my undisputed No 1 choice. Yes, it's not so well known nor does it appear on that many "best of" lists, but that's because the food here is cooked home-style. Nor are they active on socmed. 

Meaning the taste is not so commercial because there is no msg, no excessive amounts of salt or chilli - the dishes are made using generations-old family recipes.

And guess what? One of the most critical foodies I know gives it the thumbs-up. My mum :)

I was nervous about bringing her because as a terrific cook herself, her standards are damn high. But she was sold after her first bite of her favourite dish  #otak-otak, which she praised for its super smooth texture, subtle flavours with a strong but not overwhelming fragrance of daun kaduk. "Mum's otak-otak also tastes like this," she commented, referring to herself la. Translation: that's the pinnacle of praise 🤣

Otak2 aside, Bibik's chicken dishes are some of the best. This round, I haven't found Penang any chicken #karikapitan that comes close, and the #inchikabin is superb as well. 

And if you come for lunch, you must try the #Nyonyakuih here, which is actually sold in Kuih by Bibik, run by the Mum Girlie on nearby Lebuh Clarke 

Kuih by Bibik's is THE BEST Penang #nyonyakuih I've eaten - and only a few ppl know because the Nyonya Girlie makes it in very small batches. Unlike the commercially made versions, you can really taste the difference in terms of the quality of ingredients. My mum and I can both make Nyonya kuih (OK I can only make kuih bingka) so we know our stuff lah :p

#penangfood #nyonyacuisine
One of the more delicious discoveries I've made re One of the more delicious discoveries I've made recently in Ipoh, @hyggebakehouseipoh is a cosy #Ipohbakery making their own #shokupan (fluffy and soft while retaining a nice bite) #sourdough and all kinds of cakes, cookies and desserts, including one of the best #brownies I've eaten - very chocolatey and almost as fudgy as @718pizza (which also makes a killer giler-fudgy brownie). Luckily the cafe is quite far from my house, or else very dangerous for my diet haha. Proud too that the quality of bakeries in Ipoh is Comparable to KL. The inside-flowy basque cheesecake at @girliescafe
remains my all time favourite.

Glad I followed your recommendation @milockosong 🤗

#Ipoheats #Ipohcafes
No chicken? Eat duck lor :P Stumbled across @what No chicken? Eat duck lor :P

Stumbled across @whattheducksetia when it was a quirky little cafe on Nagore Road many years ago. Was so impressed by the quality of the food - its fine dining but at such humane prices.

Today, we visited its new incarnation at Setia Spice and the food is as tasty as ever. 

Hubs had the set dinner of duck confit (delectable! I actually crunched the bones!), passion fruit tea, soup and dessert while I had the spicy Indonesian bek bek pasta.

Man, I miss this ❤️

#whattheduck #duckconfit #penangfood #duck
Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you rea Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you really feel like eating chicken rice but can't be bothered with the whole song and dance to make proper chicken rice.

Your lifesaver? This super handy, super tasty Bentong ginger paste that I discovered in a market in Pulau Tikus market!!

What else you'll need?
1) Chicken rubbed with salt
2) Chicken stock
3) Rice

That's it!! 

Now, everybody knows that for good chicken rice, the RICE is probably more important than the chicken itself.  It's got to be a flavour bomb, literally. So how do you achieve that?

This is where the magic of the Bentong ginger paste comes in.  Aside from ginger and garlic, it's also seasoned with oyster sauce, salt, etc as well as oil which has been flavoured with all those seasonings. What I did was scoop up a few tsp of the flavoured oil, mix it with the rice and chicken stock, cook it in my rice cooker, and voila, chicken rice! Simple kan?

As for the chicken, just steam it with the ginger paste for 20 minutes and voila, the most delicious chicken rice with just three ingredients!

#3ingredientrecipes #kitchenhack #Chinesecooking #chinesecuisine #homecook #Malaysianhomecook #homechefs #weeknightdinners #easyrecipes
It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed three eggs, the Chinese classic comfort food. I got myself a century egg and salted duck egg from the Batu Lanchang market so decided to make it again.

How do you get flawless steamed 3 eggs?

1. Use an egg: liquid ratio of 1: slightly less than 2. Yes, 2 is the gold standard but I found it just a little on the side of watery so a bit less will do the trick. For the liquid, you can use either water or stock. If you use water, just season more.

2. Whisk the egg mixture until lump free before steaming. 

3. When you are ready to steam, place the egg custard on the steaming tray only when the water is boiling already. Then reduce to medium low and steam for 10 min.

If you have any other good tips, pls leave them in the comments below :) 

#Chinesecooking #homecook #homecooking #eggs #eggdishes #healthyeating #steamedeggs #foodie #Malaysianhomecook #vegetarian #eggrecipes #vegetarianrecipes
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