Moza (Egyptian lamb shanks with rice)
Moza: whole lamb shanks simmered with cardamom and bay, then roasted and served on rice cooked in their broth
On Eid al-Adha, when there is lamb in every kitchen, and in the grill houses of Cairo where it is a favourite order, moza is the cut people point to: a whole shank per person, standing on a mound of rice. The shanks are first simmered gently with onion, cardamom, bay and a little mastic until the meat is ready to slip off the bone, then roasted in a hot oven so the outside turns brown and sticky. The rice cooks in the fragrant broth, so every grain carries the lamb flavour. A bowl of the remaining broth, a salad of tomato and cucumber and some tahini make it a feast. Chef's tip: skim the pot carefully in the first 15 minutes of simmering; a clear broth makes cleaner-tasting rice.
- Total time
- 155 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the shanks
- 4 lamb shanksabout 400 g each
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 2 onionspeeled and quartered
- 6 green cardamom podscracked
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 mastic (optional)pea-sized tears, crushed with a pinch of salt
- 2 tsp saltdivided
For roasting
- 2 tbsp vegetable oildivided
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz long-grain ricerinsed until the water runs clear
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 4 lamb shanks and 8 ¼ cups water in a large pot and bring to the boil over a high heat. As grey foam rises, skim it off with a spoon until the surface stays clear. Skipping this step is the most common mistake; the scum makes the broth cloudy and slightly sour.
15 minStep 2: Add 2 onions, 6 green cardamom pods, 3 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 2 mastic and three-quarters of 1 ½ tsp salt. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender and shrinking back from the bone.
90 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan). Lift the shanks into a roasting tin. Strain the broth and keep it hot; you need 600 ml for the rice and can serve the rest as soup.
Step 4: Mix half of 1 tbsp vegetable oil with 3 garlic cloves, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp ground black pepper and rub it all over the shanks. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until browned and sizzling at the edges.
22 minStep 5: Meanwhile, heat the rest of 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the drained 10 ½ oz long-grain rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains look glassy. Pour in 600 ml of the hot broth and the rest of ½ tsp salt and bring to the boil.
4 minStep 6: Cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, until the broth is absorbed and holes appear on the surface. Rest it off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
20 minStep 7: Spoon the rice onto a platter, stand the shanks on top and spoon a little broth over the meat just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moza (Egyptian lamb shanks with rice) take?
- About 155 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 140 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of green cardamom pods?
- A pinch of ground cardamom per 2 pods.
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