Lamb Pilaf | One-Pot Weeknight Dinner
This Lamb Pilaf is a hearty and flavoursome dish that makes a great weeknight dinner. It’s a perfect recipe for guests too, as it looks beautiful when served and is sure to impress with its fragrant spices and rich, earthy taste.
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
From the Middle East, to Africa, Asia, and the Balkans, a version of pilaf (or pilau) is found in just about every corner of the globe. Pilaf is a convenient one dish that’s both flavorful and hearty. It’s often considered a comfort food, thanks to the combination of tender lamb, aromatic spices, and fluffy rice. It’s also these ingredients, particularly the lamb and spices, that provide much of the nutritional benefits in this meal.
The lamb is rich in protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Together these nutrients are crucial for oxygen transport in the blood, supporting immune function (1), building and maintaining muscle, tissue, and various bodily components (2) as well as being essential for healthy blood, cell, and nerve function (3,4). The spices, high in bioactive compounds, are well-known anti-inflammatories, can help reduce blood sugar, support heart health and improve gut health too (5,6,7,8).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
While this does require a few ingredients many will likely be sitting in your pantry already. Toppings added to this once cooked provide extra colour and flavour. Pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley, and walnuts are the suggestion here.
- Basmati rice – This fragrant long grain white rice is a great choice for pilaf, as it contains less starch which allows the grains to remain separate and fluffy when cooked.
- Chicken Stock – You can use homemade chicken stock or store bought. Vegetable stock is also fine if that’s what you have. I find beef stock is too strong so it’s not one I’d suggest.
- Lamb mince – Adding protein to make this a complete meal so that extra side dishes aren’t needed but can be added if wanted.
- Spice mix (cumin, sumac, turmeric, and cinnamon) – A perfect pairing with the lamb and it also brings the flavours of the Middle East to the dish.
- Garlic – Adds some pungency and sweetness. It also further enhances the flavour of the lamb.
- Dried apricots – This adds sweetness to balance out some of the heavier flavours. I also like to use fresh, ripe apricots to replace the dried when they’re in season.
- Pomegranate seeds / dried rose petals – These are mostly decorative however, the pomegranate when available also adds a hint of sourness. This cuts through the fat of the lamb well too. Although the dressing is the main focus for this. When not in season dried rose petals are a great option. They are only adding extra colour, not flavour though.
- Vinaigrette dressing – This cuts through the fattiness of the lamb perfectly so don’t be tempted to skip on this.
The toppings chosen should be added just before serving along with the vinaigrette.
How To Make This Lamb Pilaf
This was very much inspired by a delicious lamb pilaf from Yotam Ottolenghi. It makes a hearty weeknight dinner that will have everyone coming back for more.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC and bring the chicken stock to the boil on the stove. Reduce heat and leave to simmer with the lid on until needed.
- Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan (with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened.
- Add the garlic, lamb mince, and spice mix, and cook until the lamb is well browned.
- Add 3/4 of a cup of the hot chicken stock, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is almost absorbed.
- Add the rice, chopped apricots, remaining chicken stock, another teaspoon of salt and more pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil put the lid on then turn off the stove, and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 25 mins.
- 10 minutes before the end of cooking time – Place the walnuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the oven and cook for the final 10 mins shaking the tray halfway through to move the nuts around.
- Remove the lamb pilaf and roasted walnuts from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Now make the dressing. To do this combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and honey into a bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Remove the lid from the pilaf pot then sprinkle with chopped parsley, rose petals or pomegranate seeds, and crush over the roasted walnuts.
- Serve the pilaf into bowls then drizzle some of the dressing over each. Alternatively the pot and dressing can be placed on the table for everyone to serve themselves.
This lamb pilaf was created as a main meal and can be eaten alone. If serving with a side dish though, a big bowl of greens is a perfect match.
Substitutions And Variations
Swap out the lamb mince for any of your choosing. Beef or pork are great swaps, but chicken works well too.
Don’t like dried apricots? Try medjool dates or plump and juicy raisins instead.
Use brown rice in place of the basmati if you would like to increase the fibre content of this meal. Just not that it may take longer to cook, and the texture will be much less fluffy.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
Don’t skip on heating the chicken stock before starting this recipe. Adding cold stock will rapidly bring the temperature down and cause the rice to go soggy.
Keep a close eye on the walnuts as they roast in the oven. The oils present in all nuts mean they can burn quickly and will do so readily. Remove them straight away if they smell done in your oven earlier than the suggested 10 minutes.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
To store pilaf, cool it completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you have a lot of pilaf left, you can also freeze it in single portions for up to 3 months.
To reheat, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water for each cup of leftover pilaf then place in the microwave or in the oven until completely warmed through. If it’s been frozen defrost in the fridge overnight before heating.
FAQ
Pilaf is rice cooked by the absorption method in stock with spices and it may also include meat and/or vegetables.
I like to serve this pilaf with a big bowl of greens. Something like arugula/rocket is perfect. It helps to cut through the richness of the dish and balances out the meal.
More Main Meal Inspiration
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Lamb Pilaf | One-Pot Weeknight Dinner
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 lb lamb mince (500g)
- 1.7 pints chicken stock, (800ml, boiling)
- 10.5 oz basmati rice (300g, rinsed thoroughly)
- 5 oz dried apricots (150g)
- 2 tsp salt
- Plenty of ground black pepper
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- A few good grinds of black pepper
Toppings
- 10 g parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup of dried rose petals OR the seeds from 1 pomegranate when in season
- ¾ cup walnuts, roasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- In a large pot bring the chicken stock to boil on the stove. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and leave to simmer with the lid on. This will be used to add to the rice later.
- On a medium-high heat, warm the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan that has a lid. Add the onion and cook stirring frequently until softened – about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, lamb mince, cumin, sumac, turmeric, and cinnamon, and cook until the lamb is well browned – about 6 – 8 minutes.
- Add ¾ of a cup of the hot chicken stock, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is almost absorbed – about 8 – 10 minutes.
- Add the rice, chopped apricots, all the remaining chicken stock, another teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil put the lid on the pot then turn off the stove and move the pot to the oven. Cook for 25 mins.
- 10 minutes before the end of cooking time – Place the walnuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the oven and cook for the final 10 mins shaking the tray halfway through to move the nuts around.
- Remove the lamb pilaf and roasted walnuts from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Now make the dressing. To do this combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and honey into a bowl. Whisk well to combine.
- Remove the lid from the pilaf pot then sprinkle with chopped parsley, rose petals or pomegranate seeds, and crush over the roasted walnuts.
- Serve out the pilaf into bowls then drizzle some of the dressing over each. Alternatively the pot and dressing can be placed on the table for everyone to serve themselves.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY