Qidreh (Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe)

A large bowl of rice and chickpeas topped with tender lamb shanks with a side of chopped salad.

5 from 4 votes

Qidreh (Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe)

Qidreh (also pronounced Idreh) is a Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe that is hearty, comforting, and filling. It does take some time to prepare, but the work and cooking time is well worth it. Prepare it on a weekend or for a special occasion.

Prep Time30

Cook Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Levantine, Mediterranean, Palestinian

Servings: Servings

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $25

Ingredients

Ground Spices (used in both the broth and rice)

4 tsp Baharat (7-spice blend), Divided - Or equal parts cumin, coriander and cinnamon
1 tsp Turmeric, Divided

Lamb Broth

3-4 lbs Lamb shanks - See note
Salt and black pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion - Peeled and halved
4-5 Garlic cloves - Smashed roughly
2 Cinnamon sticks
3 Bay leaves
5-6 Cardamom pods - lightly cracked
5-6 cups Water

Seasoned Rice

1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion - Chopped
3-4 Garlic cloves - Finely minced
1 can Chickpeas - Drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups Basmati Rice - Rinsed
¼ tsp Saffron - Optional

Garnish

1 tbsp Olive Oil
¼ cup Slivered almonds
2-4 tbsp Fresh parsley - Roughly chopped

Instructions

Sear the lamb and make the broth

Season the lamb. Liberally season the lamb with salt and black pepper.
Sear the lamb. In a large Dutch oven set on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear the lamb on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The lamb should get golden brown. Lower the heat if the oil begins to scorch.
Add aromatics and water. To the pot with the lamb shanks, add the onion halves, smashed garlic cloves, and the water. Add the whole spices (cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamom pods) with a big pinch of salt.
Bring to a simmer and skim. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer. Skim the foam that comes up to the surface, being careful not to pick up any spices in the process.
Add ground spices. Once you see that there’s no more foam forming on the surface, add 2 teaspoons baharat and ½ teaspoon turmeric. Cover the pot slightly, making sure there’s room for steam to escape.
Simmer. Simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. If your meat is not covered fully by the broth, turn it over about halfway through. Avoid adding more water unless the water level really gets low.
Remove meat. Remove he lamb shanks and place them on a baking tray.
Strain the broth. Using a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain the broth. Discard the aromatics and whole spices. Set the bowl aside to cool.
Skim the fat. Using a spoon, carefully skim the fat off the broth. Alternatively, you can cool the broth completely in the fridge and remove the solidified layer of fat that forms.

Prepare the rice

Fry the rice aromatics. In a pot, add butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onions, minced garlic, 2 teaspoons baharat, ½ teaspoon turmeric and a pinch of salt. Don’t add too much salt, as the broth will be used to cook the rice is already salted. Fry on medium until the onions have softened.
Add the chickpeas. To the same pot, add the drained chickpeas.
Add the rice and saffron. To the same pot, add the rinsed rice. Add the saffron threads, if using.
Add broth. Add 3 cups of the broth to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then turn down to low heat. Cover and steam the pot for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. See note on rice to water ratio.

Broil the lamb and prepare the garnish

Broil the lamb. While the rice cooks, broil the lamb for a few minutes to get some charring. The charring will amplify the flavor.
Toast the almonds. To a frying pan or small skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the almonds. Fry on medium heat until the almonds brown lightly, 2-3 minutes. Drain the almonds on a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve. On a large serving platter, layer the rice with the fried almonds. Lay the cooked lamb on top of the rice. You can also shred the lamb and place the pieces of meat over the rice if you prefer. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos! I highly recommend you do this!

Ingredient notes:

Lamb: This recipe will work with any tougher cut of bone-in lamb because of the long cooking time (which will slowly break down the meat and make it tender). I think lamb shanks are best but you can use cubed lamb pieces.
Oil: feel free to use vegetable oil such as avocado oil if you prefer it.
Whole Spices: For the lamb broth, I recommend using a combination of bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and whole cardamom pods. Make sure to crack the cardamom pods before adding them to the pot, this will help release the seeds and flavor.
Ground Spices: Like many other Levantine recipes, this one will also rely heavily on baharat (7-spice). In a pinch, substitute for equal parts cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
Rice: Basmati rice is my go-to rice for any Middle Eastern rice recipes. It’s commonly available, flavorful and easy to cook. Make sure to give it a good rinse before using it in this recipe.
Chickpeas: Chickpeas give this recipe an added boost of protein. Use as much of as little as you like. You don’t have to use chickpeas at all if you prefer.

Other additions: red pepper flakes or green chillies for heat.

Rice to Water Ratio. Basmati rice usually needs 2 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of rice. This recipe uses 1 ½ cups of rice. Therefore, you need to use 3 cups of liquid.

Serve with Jerusalem chopped salad, authentic Fattoush or Tabbouleh. A dollop of plain yogurt adds a cooling effect, or try my mint yogurt sauce or Cacik (Turkish cucumber yogurt sauce).

Nutrition