TURKISH RICE RECIPE

by Leonore M
(Elmwood PK, NJ)

This family recipe was named this because the men made it and they were from Turkey/Uzbekistan.

Large sauce pot with tight fitting lid (stainless steel does not work well, aluminum is OK, but non stick is better.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs lamb cubed into 1" pieces
5 very large onions, (like the size of Spanish onions) chopped about the size of a green pea. (food processor not recommended)
5 large carrots (grated, not too small or chopped not too small in a food processor)
1 lbs Carolina Long grain rice
2 table spoons of salt and 2 teaspoons pepper
1 8oz glass of water.

You will need to get the "knack" of this recipe.

Chop onions, carrots and lamb placing in separate bowls.

DIRECTIONS:
Put oil in sauce pan heat until hot.
Put lamb into hot oil, stirring and searing lamb until all pieces are browned.

Put onions in pan and stir constantly on med-high until onions are translucent, do not burn onions.

Place carrots in with meat and onions stirring on med-high until carrots are somewhat soft.
Add 1 8oz glass of water, salt * pepper, turn on low-med and let simmer for 20 minutes, (you will SMELL the difference after 20 min.)

Turn heat up to HIGH place your rice ON TOP-smooth down to make flat of the first set of ingredients DO NOT STIR AT ALL FROM THIS POINT ON.

SLOWLY add water (maybe 1 or 2 10oz glasses) on top of the rice, just enough water to cover rice half way from your fingertip touching the rice 1/2 way to the first joint.

DO NOT STIR AT ALL DO NOT STIR

LEAVE HEAT ON HIGH THE INGREDIENTS WILL NOT BURN
Let water boil out, you can test its doneness by "tapping" the top of the rice with a wooden spoon.
If you hear splat splat there is water and you need to leave it on high for a few more minutes...if you hear thump thump, the water is gone and you can proceed to next step.
FINAL STEP turn off heat... take wooden spoon and pile the rice FROM THE SIDES to the center forming a mountain. Just pull the rice from the sides of the pot up to the center.

DO NOT STIR

Take your spoon and drive a "hole" in the middle of the pile, and a few holes around the edges.
Put the lid on the pot and let stand for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes you can stir everything THOROUGHLY, mixing the onions, carrots and lamb all together.

Serve with a nice green salad and pickles.
They would take a bit of rice and a bit of pickles/salad.

If you've put the right amount of water in and cooked it right, the rice will be slightly firm just soft enough. You can adjust salt and pepper to taste on your next try. If your rice was "mushy" you added to much water, if the finished product was too hard, you didn't add enough water.

If you want to make more double the recipe, the more onions and carrots make it tasty. Can be refrigerated up to 1 week Not good to freeze finished product.

Any questions, email me Diamondsadpearls@aol.com - subject line "Turkish Rice"