Qidreh (Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe) (2024)

Ingredients

This recipe does have a few ingredients, most importantly the lamb shanks and spices. See the next section for ingredient notes.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• 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. You can get lamb shanks from a butcher. New Zealand of Australian lamb shanks are sometimes available frozen in your grocery store meat freezer. If lamb isn’t your thing, you can use cubed beef chuck roast or shanks (Osso Buco).
• 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). This spice blend is essential in Levantine cuisine and especially in Palestinian recipes. You can make your own baharat using my recipe, buy some from a Middle Eastern grocery store or, 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. You can use another rice, such as brown rice if you prefer. Adjust the recipe to suit the package cooking instructions.
• Chickpeas: Chickpeas give this recipe an added boost of protein. You don’t have to use chickpeas. There are regional variations to this recipe, and in Jerusalem where my family is from, we use chickpeas.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make This Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe

There are many steps to this recipe, but it’s well worth it. Read through the steps fisrt to familiarize yourself with everything.

Step 1. Season the lamb. Liberally season the lamb with salt and pepper (Image 1).
Step 2. Sear the lamb. In a large Dutch oven set on medium-high heat, add olive oil and sear the lamb on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. The lamb should be golden brown. Lower the heat if the oil begins to scorch (Image 2).

Step 3. Add aromatics and broth. To the pot with the lamb shanks, add the onion halves, smashed garlic cloves and the water (Image 3). Add the whole spices (cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamom pods) with a big pinch of salt (Image 4).
Step 4. 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 (Image 5).
Step 5. Add ground spices. Once you see that there’s no more foam forming on the surface, add the baharat and turmeric (Image 6). Cover the pot slightly, making sure there’s room for steam to escape.

Step 6. 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 (Image 7).
Step 7. Remove meat. Remove he lamb shanks and place them on a baking tray (Image 8).
Step 8. Strain the broth. Using a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, strain the broth. Discard the aromatics and whole spices (Image 9).
Step 9. Skim the fat. Set the bowl aside to cool. Using a spoon, carefully skim the fat off the broth (Image 10). Alternatively, you can cool the broth completely in the fridge and remove the solidified layer of fat that forms.

Step 10. Fry the rice aromatics. In a pot, add butter, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onions, minced garlic, baharat, turmeric and a pinch of salt (Image 11). 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 (Image 12).
Step 11. Add the chickpeas. To the same pot, add the drained chickpeas (Image 13).

Step 12. Add the rice and saffron. To the same pot, add the rinsed rice. Add the saffron threads if using (Image 14).
Step 13. Add broth. Add the broth to the pot, bring it to a boil, and then turn down to low heat (Image 15). Cover and steam the pot for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender (Image 16).

Step 14. Broil the lamb. While the rice cooks, broil the lamb for a few minutes to get some charring. The charring will amplify the flavor (Image 17).
Step 15. Toast the almonds. To a frying pan, add the olive oil and almonds. Fry on medium heat until the almonds brown lightly, 2-3 minutes. Drain the almonds on a paper towel-lined plate (Image 18).
Step 16. Serve. On a large serving platter, layer the rice with the fried almonds and tender lamb. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley (Image 19).

Expert Tips

• Trim the fat. Lamb fat has a strong flavor that some people do not like. Trim away as much fat from the shanks as you can, or ask your butcher to do that for you.
• Use another cut of meat. This recipe can be adapted for beef and chicken.
• Scrape the bottom of the pan. When making the broth, make sure to scrape those browned bits so that they can really flavor that broth!
• Skim the broth. It is essential to skim the broth, to remove the foam while it’s cooking and the fat once it’s done cooking.
• When to add the ground spices to the broth? Always add the ground spices after you're finished skimming the foam. Otherwise you're just skimming away the ground spices too.
• Make a lighter rice. Cook the rice with a 50/50 mixture of lamb broth and water. This will yield lighter rice.
• Serve whole or shredded. You can serve the lamb shanks whole on the rice, or shred them intobite size pieces for easier serving and sharing.
• Use a pressure cooker. If you are rushed for time, you can prepare the meat and broth in a pressure cooker or instant pot. Adjust the recipe as needed.

Recipe FAQs

Other Levantine Recipes to Try

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Qidreh (Palestinian Spiced Lamb and Rice Recipe)

Luay Ghafari

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 44gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 165mgPotassium: 846mgFiber: 11gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 202IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 7mg

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