Sticky, spiced lamb shanks with jewelled rice

Ingredients

1 large piece fresh ginger, chopped 6 garlic cloves, chopped olive oil 4 large lamb shanks 3 large onions 3 cinnamon sticks, halved 3 tspn cumin seeds 1 heaped tspn ground coriander 1 tspn whole cloves 1 tbsp chilli paste 1 can diced tomatoes 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or balsamic) 1-2 litres chicken stock sea salt & freshly ground pepper 6 dried apricots, chopped 6 dried figs, chopped 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 2 tbsp butter 6 cardamom pods, crushed a little 2 bay leaves 2 cups basmati rice, washed well & drained a good pinch of saffron threads

Method

Process the ginger and garlic with 4 tbsp cold water to form a paste. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large heavy-bottomed casserole (or pot) and brown the lamb all over in 1-2 batches. Remove. Add a little fresh oil to the casserole, if needed, and gently saut 1 chopped onion until reasonably tender, stirring now and again. Then add 2 halved cinnamon sticks, 2 tspn cumin seeds and the ground coriander with the cloves, chilli paste and garlic paste. Stir well and briefly cook to toast the spices, continually stirring.

Add the tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, 2 cups stock and seasonings. Mix well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down, return the lamb shanks in one layer, cover and gently simmer for about 1-1 hours until the meat is very tender, adding another cup of stock if needed. Then add the dried apricots, figs and chopped coriander. Stir and briefly cook. When the lamb is almost ready, put 1 tbsp oil with the butter, cardamom, remaining cinnamon stick and the bay leaves in a rice cooker. Heat until the butter has melted. Add the rice and toss to coat well. Then add 2 cups stock, mix well and cook until the machine turns to warm. Mix together the saffron and a little boiling hot water. Scatter this over the rice and set aside, covered, for 5 mins. While the rice is cooking, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and fry 2 finely sliced onions with 1 tspn cumin seeds and a good pinch of salt until they begin to crisp, stirring now and again. Drain well on kitchen paper towels. Mound the rice in a bowl and top with the fried onions. Then serve with the lamb and plenty of the sauce spooned over the top. nb. Dont worry if you dont have a rice cooker, use a heavy-bottomed pot.