Afghani Kabuli lamb pullao with caramelised carrots, raisins and pistachios

 Wholesome, simple and fragrant is this dish - while it steams away in your kitchen, your home will be enveloped with the delectable aroma of whole garam masala and the soothing and nurturing earthy smell of rice, while the sweet yet sour crunchy carrots and tangy black currants will add a unique flavour to this dish...to me this recipe (which is one of my Mom's special ones) conjures up relaxing summery lunches in the patio under the big sun umbrella sipping 'nimbopanni' (fresh Pakistani lemonade), with the clanking of ice in the glass and the mouth-watering taste of  this delicious, unusual chicken and rice dish which lends it's decent from Afghani kitchens.While the recipe is simple, the only trick that takes time to master is the art of cooking rice under steam, or 'dam' as it's is known in Urdu, this is a concept of cooking that is borrowed from the Mughal's which is used in cooking biryani's and many rich meat and vegetable dishes in the sub-continent  - the method is allowing the steam within the pot to cook the food, so hence cooked, covered on very low heat. The idea is to maintain the heat to such a degree that the rice does not burn at the bottom of the pan, which is why I do give it a few stirs now and then, but beware that too much stirring tends to break up the grains of rice. You need to discover the 'art' of cooking the rice which is not over-cooked or under-cooked! Under-cooking is still fixable but over-cooking isn't! I'm afraid trial and error is the only path to success with this technique!A recipe borrowed from an Afghani neighbour, my mother used to make this often, the kitchen comes alive with the astringent aroma of cardamom, which I am told is the most used spiced in Afghani cuisine. This dish is popular in Pakistan and has found its way into our cuisine by the border influences of Afghanistan and Pakistan, many refugees over the years and as such, become as much a part of our repertoire as theirs.Be prepared for these heavenly aromas to envelope your home all night!Serves 6-8 peopleTakes 2.5 hours to prepare

Ingredients:150 vegetable oil1 large red onion, chopped finely800 g lamb leg or shoulder, on the bone, cut into 3 inch pieces3 tsp crushed garlic4 tsp grated gingerSalt to taste1 - 2 litres of water70 g caster sugar2 tsp garam masala(Make fresh by grinding together 1 tsp each of cloves, green cardamom, 4 bay leaves and ½ inch cinnamon)1 tsp freshly ground cardamom800 g long grain basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 1 hour to overnight - then parboiled in hot salted water20g carrots, peeled and cut into thin batons70 g sultanas / raisinsA handful of almonds and pistachios, silvered – to garnish Equipment:2 saucepans with tight fitting lids1 frying pan1 piece of foil enough to cover pan Method:  Heat half the oil in a large saucepan pan over medium heat and cook the onion for until golden brown. Next add the ginger, garlic, 1 tbsp of the salt and cook until raw smell leaves the pan Then add lamb and cook until meat is sealed and light brown (about 10 minutes). Add about 1 litre of water, reduce heat to low and skim surface occasionally, until lamb is tender (about 1 hours). Remove lamb from pan and set aside. Reserve the stock. Using an another saucepan, heat over medium flame and add half of the sugar. Cook, shaking pan, for 5–6 minutes or until sugar has caramelised. Carefully add half of the stock, 1 tsp of garam masala and a a little ground cardamom. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside. Drain the par boiled rice and return to the empty stock pan. Pour over the caramelised sugar mixture, add a pinch of garam masala and cardamom, and stir until rice is evenly coated. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrot and remaining sugar and stir for 5 minutes, or until lightly caramelised then add the sultanas and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in another pinch of cardamom. Set this aside for later Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan until smoking. Pour oil over the rice.(enough to cover the rice evenly but not soak it, you might find that you have some stock left over, you can freeze this quite easily@) Make holes all over rice with the back of a spoon, this allows the rice to steam evenly and cook it. Now sprinkled over the carrot and place the lamb around the rice. Cover and seal pan with foil and then the lid. Place over high heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook until the steam rises when you lift the lid and the rice is cooked. To serve, carefully spoon the rice and lamb into a serving platter and scatter with almonds and pistachios and any remaining spiced carrots and raisins.