Qabili Pilau

This recipe is from http://international-grub.blogspot.com/2009/09/afganistan-qabili-pilau.html Wikipedia says that Qabili Pilau is the national dish of Afganistan

• Ready In: 2 hrs 5 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 Recipe

Ingredients

• 1  medium onion, diced
• 1  lb basmati rice
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable oil
• 1 1⁄2 lbs lamb or 1  chicken
• 1  cup water
• 2  large carrots
• 1  cup seedless raisin
• 2  teaspoons  char masala or 2  teaspoons cumin
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron (optional)
• 2 1⁄2 pints water
•  salt and pepper
• 1 -1 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 -1 1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom

Directions

1. Brown 1 medium diced onion in oil. Fry until the onion is fairly dark. Add 1 lb lamb cut into 1"-2" cubes and brown lightly.
2. Add 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoons Salt and 1 to 1 ½ tsp each (cinnamon, ground cumin and ground cardamom) Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about an hour.
3. Remove meat from the juice and set juice aside. Cut 3 carrots into match stick size pieces. Sauté carrots and 1 tsp sugar in about 1/4 cup of oil. Cook until they are lightly browned. Remove from oil Add 1 cup of raisins (I prefer golden sultanas) to the oil and cook until they swell up.
4. Boil the meat juice and add 2 cups basmati (very long grained) rice, 1 ½ tsp salt and enough boiling water to come 2 inches over the rice. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, but not mushy.
5. Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice together. Place in a large oven-proof casserole, cover and bake at 300 degrees for about a half hour--or up to an hour. To serve--place on platter, making sure the carrots and raisins show on top.