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Landi palaw
لاندی پلو (landi palaw): Kandahar's rice with salt-cured lamb, here with a home fridge cure (plus 4 days curing)
Each autumn around Kandahar and in the high villages of the Pashtun belt, whole sheep are salted and hung in the cold, dry wind for weeks to make landi, a dark, dense cured lamb that sees families through winter, and landi palaw, rice cooked in its salty, gamey broth, is one of the great cold-weather dishes. Air-drying meat outdoors is not safe to copy in a home kitchen, so this version cures lamb in salt in the fridge for four days, which gives much of the firm texture and concentrated, savoury flavour; it is then cooked until completely tender. The rice comes out rich and meaty, eaten with a raw onion salad and pickled vegetables. Salting the rice before tasting the broth is the mistake to avoid, as the cured meat brings plenty of its own. Chef's tip: soak the cured lamb for 2 hours before cooking and change the water once, so the broth is savoury rather than briny.
- Total time
- 140 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the home-cured lamb
- 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder or leg on the bonecut into large pieces
- 2 ⅛ oz coarse sea salt
For the broth
- 7 ½ cups water
- 2 onionsone halved, one thinly sliced
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
For the rice
- 1 ⅛ lb basmati ricerinsed and soaked 30 minutes
- 12 ½ cups water
- saltonly if needed, to taste
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder or leg on the bone all over with 2 ⅛ oz coarse sea salt and 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, set it on a rack over a tray and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 days, turning once a day and pouring away any liquid, until the meat is darker, firm and dry to the touch.
Step 2: Rinse the lamb, cover with cold water and soak for 2 hours, changing the water after 1 hour.
120 minStep 3: Put the lamb in a large pot with 7 ½ cups water and the halved onion of 1 onions, bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 80–90 minutes until the meat is very tender. Lift out the lamb and strain the broth; you need about 600 ml.
90 minStep 4: Heat 5 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium heat and fry the sliced onion of 1 onions for 12–15 minutes until deep brown.
15 minStep 5: Add 600 ml of the broth, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp ground cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper mixed and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste: it should be well seasoned; add salt only if needed.
5 minStep 6: Boil 1 ⅛ lb basmati rice in 12 ½ cups water, unsalted, for 5–6 minutes until soft outside with a firm core, then drain.
6 minStep 7: Fold the rice into the broth, bury the lamb in it and poke a few holes down to the base.
Step 8: Wrap the lid in a clean tea towel, cover tightly and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes, then on the lowest heat for 25 minutes until the grains are tender and separate.
30 minStep 9: Serve on a large platter with the lamb on top and an onion salad alongside.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does landi palaw take?
- About 140 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 coarsely ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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