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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Lamb qidreh

Qidreh is a baked lamb and rice dish seasoned with warm spices, originally from Hebron. It serves 4, takes 1 hour 50 minutes, stays easy to make, and costs about €3.50 per person. The trick is letting the rice steam undisturbed in the oven and finishing it with a whole candied garlic head on top.

Tonight, we're opening the pot Hebron style with a lamb qidreh, tender lamb in rice golden with turmeric and cardamom.

Lamb qidreh
Total time
1 h 50
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Qidreh brings together tender lamb and basmati rice turned golden with turmeric, warmed through with cardamom and cinnamon. Chickpeas add body, and the whole garlic head, left to candy slowly in the oven, turns soft enough to scoop with a spoon and mellows the whole dish. The rice stays fluffy and separate thanks to covered oven cooking.

This is a slow Sunday dish, the kind you bring to the table still in its pot, then flip over for everyone to see. It takes patience more than skill, and works just as well for a family dinner as for guests curious to try a less familiar cuisine. Mon Chou walks you through each step so neither the rice nor the lamb goes wrong.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Lamb shoulder, cut into pieces 700 g

Pantry

  • Basmati riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Turmericoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Cardamomoften in the pantry 6 pods
  • Cinnamonoften 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

  • Garlic 1 head
  • Onions 2

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the lamb with the sliced onions in olive oil in a Dutch oven. 10 min

    Take the time to get a good color, that's where the flavor comes from.

  2. Add the turmeric, crushed cardamom, cinnamon, salt and pepper, then cover with water and cook covered. 45 min

    Crush the cardamom pods with the back of a knife to release the seeds.

  3. Rinse the rice and add it with the drained chickpeas to the pot, with water sitting 1 cm above the rice.

    Count roughly one and a half times the rice volume in liquid, including the broth.

  4. Set the whole garlic head, halved, on top, cover, and bake at 180°C. 40 min

    Don't stir anymore, the rice steams and stays in separate grains.

  5. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving, then flip the pot over onto a large platter. 10 min

    Resting lets the rice fluff up and release cleanly from the bottom.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use a pot with a tight fitting lid, the steam needs to stay trapped for the rice to cook properly.
  • Never lift the lid while it bakes, every peek lets steam escape and stretches out the cooking time.
  • Check the water level with your finger rather than a measuring cup, it should sit about one centimeter above the rice, no more.

The variations

  • Swap the lamb shoulder for chicken pieces, and cut the meat cooking time to 25 minutes before adding the rice.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the meat, double the chickpeas, and use a well seasoned vegetable broth instead of water.
  • For kids, cut the cardamom to 3 pods and serve the rice on its own without the garlic head, which can look a bit much to them.

What to serve it with

  • Plain yogurt or labneh
  • A tomato and cucumber salad
  • A lemony tahini sauce

Storage

Qidreh keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, rice and lamb together, for up to 2 months. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water to bring back moisture, or covered in the oven at 150°C.

Questions about this dish

Can you make qidreh ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook the lamb base a day ahead, then add the rice and finish baking the same day. The rice loses texture if it sits too long after cooking.

Do you really need to keep the garlic head whole?

Yes, it's what gives the dish its character. Once candied, it turns soft and mild enough to spread, with no sharp bite left.

Can you swap the basmati rice?

You can use plain long grain rice, but basmati works better since it soaks up the spices without turning mushy.

Does qidreh freeze well?

Yes, rice and lamb freeze fine together in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge before reheating gently.

How long does it take to make a lamb qidreh?

Count 1 h 50 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a lamb qidreh?

About 660 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 lamb qidreh cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 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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