Albalou Polow
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 1/2 cups pitted dried sour cherries
- 1 pound ground lamb or beef
- 1 onion, grated
- Salt and pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons slivered or chopped almonds
- 3 tablespoons slivered or chopped pistachios
- 23 tablespoons sour-cherry syrup or jam
- Wash the rice in warm water and rinse in a small-holed colander or large strainer under the cold-water tap.
- Soak the sour cherries in water to cover for 15 minutes.
- (If they are of a moist variety they dont need soaking.)
- Put the ground meat and grated onion in a bowl and add salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Mix well and knead to a soft paste.
- Roll into balls the size of large cherries.
- Fry them briefly in 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil over medium heat in a large skillet for about 10 minutes, turning them or shaking the pan, to brown them all over.
- Toss the drained rice into a large (910-inch), heavy-bottomed, and preferably nonstick pan of boiling salted water and boil for about 10 minutes, until partly cooked and still a little firm.
- Then drain quickly.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in the bottom of the pan and mix with a ladle of the rice.
- Spread alternate layers of rice and meatballs, then drained cherries, beginning and ending with rice.
- (You should have 3 layers of rice.)
- Pour the remaining butter or oil all over.
- Steam, with the lid on, over very low heat for about 2030 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- For serving, see box on page 351.
- Garnish with the slivered or chopped almonds and pistachios and a dribble of sour-cherry syrup or jam.
- Use 1 pound of fresh sour cherries, pitted or not.
- Mix 1/4 teaspoon good-quality saffron powder or crushed threads with 1 tablespoon hot water and stir into the butter or oil.
basmati rice, sour cherries, ground lamb, onion, salt, cinnamon, butter, almonds, pistachios, sourcherry syrup
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/albalou-polow-373527 (may not work)