Lower Fat "Kabsa" with Roasted Lamb Leg

I know it's been a while since last post forgive me for that and I hope you always enjoy what present here, today's recipe is realy lovable by Most Arabs (if it's not all of them), "Kabsa" is one the long grain rice dishes that are served mostly in in gulf countries, and it's considered as a popular dish in Saudi Arabia. "Kabsa" is usually cooked with lamb or deer or with chicken. "Kabsa" also is called "Makboos" in some gulf countries and sometimes they use fish or shrimps in it. This dish contains (meat - fat (Ghee) - nuts - raisins) and it's much better with small lamb meat. This dish is usually full of fat but in this recipe I dicreaed the fat so much, I didn't use Ghee I used olive oil instead and not much, to make it healthier without causing problems from high fat. I love this recipe so much and I hope you love it too.

Recipe tips:

1- I used small lamb meat (not older than 6 months) and it's really yummy with Kabsa, but you may not like it if the lamb is older than a year, so if you don't have it available you can use small beef meat or even chicken, but in this case you have to reduce the cardamom and lemon in meat other than lamb.

2- I used "Kabsa spices" so if it's not available to you just mix the following: one measure of each (ground black pepper - curry - turmuric - ground cardamom) and hakf measure of each (ginger - cumen - coriander).

3- You can add nuts as you want but I only used raisins here (my husband hates nuts in rice :( ).

Prep. time: 20 min. + the time you marinate the meat (up to 24 hours).

Cooking time: about 90 min. depending on the meat you use.

Serves: 5 people.

Ingredients:

For Roasted lamb leg & meat:

1 Lamb leg or shoulder.

5 peacies of lamb ribs.

4 onions.

1/4 cup lemon juice (you can reduce it as you want)

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

2 cardamoms

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp apple vinegar

1 tbsp vinegar

about 1 tbsp sault or to you taste

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

1/2 tbsp dried thime

Pinch of rosemary

4 slices of lemon

2 oven bags

For "Kabsa":

About 1/2 kg lamb ribs

3 cups of long grain rice

4 onions chooped

4 tbsp olive oil

1 hot green pepper

1 stick cinnamon

6 cloves

1 slice lemon

1 dried lemon

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 1/2 tbsp Kabsa spices

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 tomatos, juice

salt to taste

1 cup raisins

10 cups water

Directions:

For the roasted lamb leg & ribs:

1- all the lamb leg ingredients in the food processor exept the meat of course, bay leaves & cinnamon stick.

2- make some 5 cm cuts in the lamb leg so it absorbs the marinate flavor.

3- Marinate the lamb leg and ribs in this mix and leave it in the fridge for 5 hours up to 24 hours.

4- After finishing marinaiting heat the oven 350C and take the lamb leg and ribs out of the fridge and put each in an oven bag with half of the marinate, 2 lemon slices, and one bay leaf.

5- Close the bags properly and make a small cut in the top of each to allow air to go out, and cover the end of the leg with foil.

6- Place the lamb leg & ribs into the preheated oven for about 90 minutes.

7- After one hour in the oven take the meat out of it and remove the bags carefully, and place meat in the oven again to let them roast or have the preffered color on top.

For "Kabsa":

1- While cooking meat in the oven, place chopped onion and olive oil in a big pan on high heat.

2- Stir till the onion color changes, add ribs and spices and stir.

3- Add tomato juice and paste, green pepper, chilli powder, cinnamon stick, dried lemon, and lemon slice and stir them well till boil.

4- Add 4 cups of water and leave it on medium heat and allow cook for about 30 min. then add salt and allow it cook properly up to 30 min., and watch the water to make sure it's not dry, then remove the meat out of the pan, and add the rice and raisins and stir well.

5- Add the rest of the water on high heat and stir, let it boil, then cover it on medium low heat and allow it cook for 20 min. and check after 10 min. if needs water, once it's cooked place it in a serving plate and top it with the roasted lamb leg & ribs (you can add the Kabsa meat in another dish or use it some other day), garnish with parsley and... Bon Apetit :)