Spiced rice, tender lamb, and toasted nuts come together for a delicious and classic dish known as Lamb Kabsa. This hearty meal would be the perfect way to use the traditional lamb meat eaten during the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha.
Finely chop the large onion and wash, peel and grate the carrots. Set aside.**Prepare the kabsa spice by grinding all the whole spices and mixing together very well. Spice mix makes about 7 teaspoons of kabsa. Store the unused kabsa spice in an airtight container or baggie.
In a large deep pot, add ¼ cup of the oil and chopped onion and sauté until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt on the lamb and add to the pot. Sauté for about 2 minutes on each side. Add enough water to cover the lamb and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the water from the pot, leaving behind the lamb and onions. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, the shredded carrots, 2 tsp. of the kabsa spice, 1 tsp of salt, and all the aromatics (Bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and dried lemon). Sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the cup of tomato puree and 4 cups of water. Cook over high heat until it comes to a boil, lower to medium heat and cover with the lid. Let cook for about 45-60 minutes until the lamb has fully cooked and become tender. Make sure to mix every now and then and add more water as needed.
Wash the rice until it runs clear. Add over the cooked lamb, along with the remaining 2 teaspoons of kabsa spice blend, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 ½ cups of water. Mix everything together very well and let come to a boil over high heat. After 5 minutes, lower the heat, cover and let the rice cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until fully cooked and fluffy.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to a small skillet and sauté the nuts for about 2 minutes until slightly browned. Set aside to serve over the prepared rice and lamb.