Editorial sample recipeIranianintermediateGluten-FreeHalal

Iranian Braised Lamb Shank With Dill And Fava Bean Rice

Name: Iranian Braised Lamb Shank With Dill And Fava Bean Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 900 g halal lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat; 400 g basmati rice; 200 g shelled fava beans, fresh or thawed frozen; 40 g fresh dill, finely chopped; 2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 0.5 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 3 tbsp warm water; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Tender lamb shanks slow-simmered with turmeric and saffron, served alongside fragrant basmati rice layered with fresh dill and shelled fava beans.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 90 min
Total: 110 min

AI-generated illustration of Iranian Braised Lamb Shank With Dill And Fava Bean Rice

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Technique to learn

Dambokht Steaming

A classic Persian rice steaming method where a towel-wrapped lid traps steam to cook the rice evenly while forming a crispy golden crust at the base.

Instructions

Step 1: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the lamb shanks until evenly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes, then set aside.
Add sliced onions to the same pot and cook until softened, then stir in ground turmeric and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Step 3: Return the lamb shanks to the pot, add 2 cups of hot water, cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and gently braise for 75 minutes until tender.

Step 4: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add basmati rice and shelled fava beans, cook for 6 minutes until parboiled, then drain thoroughly.

Step 5: Melt butter in a wide rice pot, layer half the parboiled rice and fava beans, sprinkle generously with chopped fresh dill, add remaining rice, and drizzle with half the steeped saffron water.

Step 6: Wrap the rice pot lid in a clean kitchen towel, cover tightly, and steam on low heat for 25 minutes until tender; serve braised lamb shanks over the dill rice.

Cooking tips

Wrapping the pot lid with a kitchen towel prevents steam condensation from dropping back into the rice, yielding fluffy grains.
Parboil the fava beans just enough so they retain their vibrant green color before final steaming.
Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Iranian; regional versions vary.
Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.

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