Name: Rice with Lamb (Zurbian)
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Yemen
Ingredients: 2 spicy green peppers, such as jalapeño, sliced in rounds for garnish (seeds removed); 5 tablespoons (75 milliliters) olive oil; 3 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more to taste; 3 large onions (600 g), sliced in half moons; ¼ cup clarified butter or olive oil; 2 cups (470 milliliters) plus 8½ cups (2 liters) just-boiled water, plus more as needed; 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro; 3 large potatoes (600 grams), peeled and quartered; 2 cloves garlic; 1 kilogram bone-in lamb (top round or chuck), cut into 6- to 7-cm (2- to 2 ½-inch) cubes (ask your butcher to cut it, with its bones; may substitute beef); 1 cup (250 grams) yogurt; 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds/5 cups) basmati rice; 1 onion (200 grams) finely chopped (to be cooked with meat); 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons rice spice mix (see note); 3 tablespoons almonds or cashews; 1 teaspoon saffron (optional)

Preparation info

10
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Cuisine of Life

By Center for International Private Enterprise

Published 2019

About

Yemeni Zurbian is related to biryani, the flavorful Indian rice dish. This style of cooking rice is embraced by many nations and eaten throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Some say it originates in Persia — the word biryani is derived from the Persian words birian, meaning fried before cooking, and birinj, meaning rice. It came to Yemen through the southern port city of Aden, the site of many cross-cultural developments. It was originally called Adeni Zurbian before spreading to the rest of th