Main DishAmerican

Layered Golden Rice Bake with Spiced Meat

Name: Layered Golden Rice Bake with Spiced Meat
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 4 garlic cloves (, finely minced); 1 onion (, finely diced); 750g / 1 1/2 lb lamb mince (first choice), or beef (Note 1); 2 1/2 tbsp baharat spice mix (- store bought or make your own (Note 3)); 2 tsp cumin powder; 2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt; 1/2 tsp cayenne powder (, optional, for very subtle warmth); 3 tbsp tomato paste; 1 small eggplant (, skin on, cut into 1cm / 0.4" cubes, ~2 heaped cups (Note 2)); 1 1/2 cups water; 3 cups basmati rice (, uncooked); 1 tbsp cooking salt / kosher salt (, for rice cooking water); 1/2 tsp saffron threads (Note 4 for imitation powder, more cost effective); 2 tbsp boiling water; 1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt (, full fat (regular, Greek or Greek-style)); 2 large eggs (~55g/2oz each in-shell); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt; 1/4 cup pine nuts (slivered or flaked almonds also great); 2 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (, for drizzling); 3 batches Lemon Yogurt Sauce (YES 3 BATCHES!), or even plain yogurt or sour cream (Note 5); 2 tbsp coriander / cilantro roughly chopped (, optional garnish); 1 tbsp roughly chopped toasted pine nuts (, optional garnish)

4.2

(10 reviews)

Author:Nagi Total: 100 mins 24 ingredients 8 servings

Recipe video above. This is essentially a streamlined version of Tachin, the iconic Middle Eastern saffron rice cake with its signature crispy crust, baked, then inverted like a pie. Here, I skip the flipping, use ingredients you can find at regular stores, and it's a large format that serves 10 yet takes little more effort than Bolognese.The top gets crispy, the meat layered inside is fragrant with Middle Eastern spices, and the rice is vibrant yellow with the distinct perfume of saffron. If saffron threads are out of reach, use imitation powder instead. Though it won't smell the same, you’ll still get vibrant yellow colour!PS. DO NOT SKIP THE LEMON YOGURT SAUCE! (Please, please🥰) See Note 5.

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Layered Golden Rice Bake with Spiced Meat

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

70 mins

Ingredients

Yield

8 servings

Calories

Ingredients

What you'll need

24 total ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves (, finely minced)

1 onion (, finely diced)

750g / 1 1/2 lb lamb mince (first choice), or beef (Note 1)

2 1/2 tbsp baharat spice mix (- store bought or make your own (Note 3))

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

1/2 tsp cayenne powder (, optional, for very subtle warmth)

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 small eggplant (, skin on, cut into 1cm / 0.4" cubes, ~2 heaped cups (Note 2))

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups basmati rice (, uncooked)

1 tbsp cooking salt / kosher salt (, for rice cooking water)

1/2 tsp saffron threads (Note 4 for imitation powder, more cost effective)

2 tbsp boiling water

1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt (, full fat (regular, Greek or Greek-style))

2 large eggs (~55g/2oz each in-shell)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

1/4 cup pine nuts (slivered or flaked almonds also great)

2 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (, for drizzling)

3 batches Lemon Yogurt Sauce (YES 3 BATCHES!), or even plain yogurt or sour cream (Note 5)

2 tbsp coriander / cilantro roughly chopped (, optional garnish)

1 tbsp roughly chopped toasted pine nuts (, optional garnish)

Method

Step-by-step instructions

ABBREVIATED:

Filling: sauté onion and garlic, then cook lamb. Add spices, tomato paste then eggplant and water. Simmer 8 min until filling thickens. Saffron rice: grind saffron, soak in hot water. Mix with yogurt, oil, eggs and salt, mix in par boiled rice. Layer in pan with lamb, drizzle, bake 50 min until top is crispy. Slice and serve!

FULL RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).

Toast pine nuts - Heat a large non-stick pan (30cm/12") over medium heat. Add pine nuts and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until they have golden brown spots. Remove into a bowl and set aside.

Spiced lamb filling:

Cook meat - In the same pan, heat the oil over high heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 1 1/2 minutes. Add lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go, for 5 minutes until you no longer see red.

Spices - Add the baharat, cumin and salt. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in tomato paste. Add the eggplant and stir to coat in the flavours until you no longer see any white eggplant flesh.

Simmer - Add the water and bring it to a rapid simmer. Lower heat to medium high, then simmer for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until the filling is thick enough that you can draw a path across the pan and it holds in place. The eggplant should be mostly cooked through (cooks more in oven). It's now ready for use (can use hot or or cool).

Golden rice:

Soak saffron - Grind the saffron mostly into a powder in a mortar and pestle (Note 4). Add hot water and leave for 5 minutes+ to soak.

Parboil rice - Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Add rice and boil for 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Drain well in a colander. (The rice is only partially cooked, it finishes cooking in the oven).

Yogurt mixture - Whisk together the yogurt, saffron water, oil, eggs and salt in a large bowl (or used rice boiling pot). Add rice and mix to combine - it will be pale yellow (becomes brighter once baked).

Assemble and bake:

Assemble - Spread half the rice in a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" dish. Spread over all the lamb mixture then sprinkle with pine nuts. Dollop remaining rice across the surface then spread.

Bake - Drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil. Bake 50 minutes until the top is golden around the edges.

Rest 10 minutes in the pan then cut. Serve with Lemon Yogurt Sauce.

Author & Creator

Nagi

Source Recipe