Spiced Lamb & Spinach Pilaf

Ingredients

• 600 g lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 600 ml lamb or chicken stock
• 300 g basmati rice, rinsed
• 200 g baby spinach
• plain yogurt and toasted flaked almonds, to serve
• Warm pitta bread, to serve
• Chopped salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a wide, heavy-based lidded pot over high heat until it shimmers. Pat the lamb dry and season generously with salt and pepper before it hits the pan — water means steam, and steam means no browning.
2. Brown the lamb in two batches, 4–5 minutes per batch, leaving each piece undisturbed long enough to develop a deep mahogany crust. Don't crowd the pot — all at once and the meat boils in its own juices instead of catching colour. Remove and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot, scraping up the dark lamb fond stuck to the base, and cook for about 8 minutes until softened, golden, and just catching at the edges.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and chilli flakes. Stir for 60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant — no longer, or it turns bitter and takes the whole pot with it. Keep the spices moving so they bloom in the fat rather than scorch; raw ground spices taste dusty, bloomed ones taste of themselves.
5. Return the lamb and any resting juices to the pot. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, scraping the base once more to lift every bit of fond into the liquid. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the lamb is starting to tenderise.
6. Stir in the rinsed rice and a good pinch of salt. Bring back to a simmer, then drop to the lowest heat your hob will hold. Cover tightly and cook for 12 minutes — no peeking, no stirring. The rice needs the trapped steam to cook evenly.
7. Pull the pot off the heat. Lay the spinach in a thick blanket over the rice without stirring. Cover and leave to steam for 5 minutes, until the leaves have collapsed and turned glossy dark green.
8. Fold the wilted spinach gently through the pilaf with a fork, fluffing the rice as you go. Taste, season, taste again — adjust the salt and pepper now, not at the table.
9. Spoon the pilaf into wide bowls. Add a generous dollop of cool yoghurt sliding down one side, scatter the toasted flaked almonds across the top, and finish with torn mint leaves. Serve with warm pitta bread and a chopped salad alongside.