🍚 Kabuli pulao

Name: Kabuli pulao
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Afghanistan · Kabul
Ingredients: 800 g lamb on the bone, in pieces; 500 g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes; 2 onions, sliced; 3 carrots, cut in thin strips; 80 g raisins; 1 tsp ground cardamom; 4 tbsp oil; 1 tsp sugar, salt; 1.5 l water

Origin: Afghanistan · Kabul

760kcal

per serving · 400 g

190kcal

per 100 g

32 gProtein8 g / 100 g

30 gFat7.5 g / 100 g

96 gCarbs24 g / 100 g

Kabuli pulao is Afghanistan's best-known rice dish: basmati rice cooked in a rich lamb broth with cardamom, then steamed with tender lamb hidden underneath. It is crowned with sweet caramelised carrot strips and plump raisins. The rice is fluffy and separate, and the dish balances savoury meat with a gentle sweetness. It is served on a large platter for sharing.

Diets

✓

No porkfor halal, the meat must be halal-slaughtered

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

Not vegetarianbecause of: lamb

Not veganbecause of: lamb

Not keto24 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.

What it is made of

basmati ricelambcarrotraisinsonionoilcardamom

Recipe

5 servings120 min

Ingredients

800 g lamb on the bone, in pieces
500 g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
2 onions, sliced
3 carrots, cut in thin strips
80 g raisins
1 tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar, salt
1.5 l water

Method

Fry the onions in 3 tbsp oil until deep brown, add the lamb and brown it.
Add water, salt and cardamom and simmer for about 1 hour until tender; keep 900 ml of broth.
Fry the carrot strips in 1 tbsp oil with the sugar until soft, add the raisins for 1 minute and set aside.
Bring the broth to a boil, add the drained rice and cook until the liquid is absorbed.
Bury the lamb in the rice, top with carrots and raisins, cover tightly and steam on very low heat for 25 minutes.

How to make it lighter

Skim the fat from the broth after simmering the lamb.
Fry the onions in less oil — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal, and the traditional recipe uses a lot.
Fill half the plate with a fresh tomato and cucumber salad and take a smaller rice portion.

History

Pulao (pilaf) dishes spread across Central and South Asia over many centuries, and the Kabuli version is named after Afghanistan's capital. It is widely regarded as the national dish of Afghanistan and is served at weddings, holidays and when guests visit.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →