Beef Rice Dish (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - 4 medium onions (yellow ones are best), finely chopped
02 - 6 to 8 carrots, sliced into chunky pieces
03 - 3/4 cup of olive oil
04 - 1 whole garlic head, with the ends trimmed off
05 - 4 cups of long-grain rice (like jasmine)
06 - 8 cups of water, split into portions
07 - 4 pounds of roast-friendly beef, cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks

→ Spices

08 - 2 tablespoons of salt (adjust to your taste)
09 - 1 teaspoon of curry powder
10 - 3 teaspoons of ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon of turmeric
12 - 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
13 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of coriander
14 - 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

# Instructions:

01 - Chop the beef into chunks about the size of 1 to 2 inches. Heat olive oil in a big Dutch oven on high until it’s really hot. Brown the beef in bunches, turning the pieces to get color on all sides. Take each batch out and set aside once done.
02 - Add all of the browned beef back into the pot, toss in the chopped onions, and stir now and then. Keep cooking until the onions take on a nice golden color, which should take around 3 to 5 minutes.
03 - Put the chunks of carrots in with the beef and onions, stirring occasionally for about 3 to 5 minutes. Let them soften just a bit.
04 - Sprinkle in all the spices (salt, black pepper, cumin, turmeric, curry powder, smoked paprika, and coriander). Toss everything thoroughly so the seasoning coats it all.
05 - Pour in roughly 6 cups of water, so the meat mix is submerged by 1 inch or so. Let it boil, then drop the heat to medium and cover partially. Cook for about an hour, giving the flavors time to sink in and the meat to get tender. Some water will cook off during this time.
06 - Take the jasmine rice and rinse it thoroughly in cold water a few times, until the water stays clear. This step helps keep the rice from clumping by getting rid of extra starch.
07 - When your meat is tender (after an hour of cooking), place the rinsed rice across the top in an even layer. Pour in 2 cups of boiling water, so the rice is submerged by about an inch. Pop the garlic bulb, cut side down, into the middle of the rice.
08 - Put the lid on the pot completely and lower the heat to medium-low. Let the rice slowly cook and absorb the liquid for about 15 to 20 minutes. No stirring needed—this keeps the rice fluffy, not mushy.
09 - Take the garlic head out and put it aside. Gently fluff the rice with a fork to mix it up with the meat below. Dish it out hot and, if you’d like, serve the roasted garlic cloves alongside.

# Notes:

01 - For a more traditional option, replace the beef with lamb—it’s the go-to meat for Central Asian cooking.
02 - A heavy-duty cast iron pot called a kazan is the usual choice for making this, but a Dutch oven works just as well in your kitchen.
03 - The garlic head softens while cooking, making the cloves sweet and spreadable. They’re perfect to scoop out and enjoy with the dish.

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