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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Djerban rice with lamb and herbs

Djerban rice with lamb and herbs is a Tunisian braised dish for 4 people, ready in 1h15, rated easy, at €3.00 per serving. Its success depends on cooking the rice directly in the lamb broth, and on finely chopped herbs stirred in at the very end to keep their bright green color and fresh flavor.

Tonight, a Djerban style rice, fragrant with lamb, spinach, parsley and dill, with chickpeas, a delicate green dish.

Djerban rice with lamb and herbs
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.00
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring

Djerban rice is rice that has soaked up hours of lamb juices, then turns a vivid green thanks to spinach, parsley and dill chopped in at the last minute. Chickpeas add a bit of bite, while paprika and tomato paste bring warm color and a gently savory base. The result is fragrant but mild, closer to the herb forward dishes of the Mediterranean than to spicy curries.

This is a Sunday dish, or one for an evening when you have some time ahead of you, not a fifteen minute weeknight dinner. It asks you to check on the pot now and then, but once the rice goes into the broth, it mostly cooks itself over low heat. Serve it to your family or to guests curious about a different cuisine. It isn't aimed at picky kids, but adventurous eaters tend to love it.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Lamb shoulder 600 g

Pantry

  • Round riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Cooked chickpeasoften in the pantry 150 g
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh spinach 300 g
  • Flat leaf parsley 2 sprigs
  • Dill 1 sprigs
  • Onion 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the lamb in the pot with the oil and chopped onion, add the garlic, paprika, tomato paste, salt and pepper. 12 min

    Let the onion soften without burning.

  2. Cover with water and simmer until the lamb is tender. 45 min

    Keep the broth, you'll need it to cook the rice.

  3. Wash and roughly chop the spinach, parsley and dill.

    Press the washed spinach in your hands to remove the water.

  4. Remove the lamb, pour the rice into the broth with the chickpeas and cook covered over low heat. 15 min

    Count one and a half times the volume of water for round rice.

  5. Stir in the herbs at the end of cooking, put the lamb back on top and let it rest. 5 min

    Resting off the heat lets the rice finish plumping up.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a well marbled lamb shoulder rather than a lean cut, it gives more flavor to the broth during the 45 minute simmer.
  • Taste the broth before adding the rice and adjust the salt then, since that broth is what flavors the whole dish.
  • Don't skimp on the fresh herbs, they're the signature of this dish and should still be visible once stirred through the rice.

The variations

  • Swap the lamb shoulder for mutton neck or braising beef if you prefer a milder flavor, the simmering time stays the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the meat, double the chickpeas and sauté the onions in olive oil before following the rest of the recipe as is.
  • To save time, use leftover cooked lamb from a roast, cutting the simmering step to 15 minutes just to flavor the broth.

What to serve it with

  • A tomato and cucumber salad
  • Preserved lemon on the side
  • A chilled plain yogurt

Storage

This rice keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, ideally without the fresh herbs, which you add after thawing. Reheat gently in a pan or saucepan with a splash of water so it doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different type of rice instead of round rice?

You can use a medium grain rice, but round rice soaks up the broth better and gives the soft, tender texture typical of this dish. Long grain rice will turn out drier and less characteristic.

Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh?

That works if you're short on time, just thaw it and press out the excess water well. The flavor will be slightly less fresh, but the texture of the dish still holds up.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

You can cook the lamb in its broth the day before and keep it in the fridge. On the day, just reheat the broth, cook the rice in it and stir in the fresh herbs at the very last minute.

Why do the herbs go in at the end of cooking?

Added too early, herbs lose their color and some of their aroma during cooking. Stirred in right before resting, the rice keeps a bright green color and a fresher taste.

How long does it take to make a Djerban rice with lamb and herbs?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Djerban rice with lamb and herbs?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Djerban rice with lamb and herbs cost?

About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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