Timman Ahmar
Iraqi red rice: long-grain rice cooked with tomato paste, onion, baharat and a touch of cinnamon, often topped with crispy fried potato slices. The rice goes orange-red from the tomato; the bottom of the pot turns into a hidden golden crust (hkake), the prize. Served alongside meat, fish or stew.
Overview
Onion is softened in oil; tomato paste is fried until darker and aromatic; rice is toasted briefly; hot stock is poured in with baharat and cinnamon. Sliced potatoes are layered at the bottom of the pot for the crust; rice is piled over; the lot steams covered until tender. The crust pops out at the end as a single golden cake.
Ingredients
- 500 g basmati rice (rinsed and soaked 30 minutes)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion (large, finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1.1 litres hot water (or chicken/lamb stock)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 potatoes (medium, sliced 5 mm thick rounds)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Topping
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 30 g toasted almonds (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Sofrito base
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy lidded pot over medium heat.
- Cook the onion 6-8 minutes until golden.
- Add the garlic; cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, baharat, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric; cook 2-3 minutes - the paste will darken.
- Tip into a bowl; clean the pot.
Stage 2 - Potato crust
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the cleaned pot over medium heat.
- Lay the potato slices flat in a single layer to cover the bottom (overlap slightly if needed).
- Salt lightly; cook 4-5 minutes - they should start to colour but not burn.
Stage 3 - Build
- Drain the rice; mix with the tomato-onion mixture.
- Pour the hot water and salt into the pot (over the potatoes).
- Pile the rice mixture in evenly; smooth the top.
- Dot with the butter.
Stage 4 - Cook
- Bring to a steady simmer.
- Reduce the heat to lowest; cover with the lid (place a clean tea towel under the lid to absorb steam if you have one).
- Cook 22-25 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Off the heat, rest covered 10 more minutes.
Stage 5 - Invert
- Run a spatula around the edges to loosen.
- Invert onto a wide serving plate - the potato crust should come out on top, golden and intact.
- Top with parsley and almonds.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Cut wedges to expose the crust on top of each portion.
- Serve with grilled lamb, chicken or stewed beans.
Notes
- Tea towel under lid: Standard Iraqi technique to absorb steam; gives drier rice and a crispier potato base.
- Don't lift the lid: Steam is what cooks the rice through. Set a timer; trust.
- Potato thickness: 5 mm gives a tender, chewy crust; thinner burns; thicker stays raw.
Storage
- Best fresh; the crust softens on reheat. Keeps 3 days refrigerated; reheat in an oven at 180°C for 15 minutes covered.
More like this
Quzi
A bone-in lamb shoulder rubs with baharat, dried lime, garlic and yogurt; sits overnight; roasts long and slow until the meat falls from the bone. Saffron rice cooks separately with onion, raisins and toasted nuts. Everything assembles on a wide platter, rice mounded under the lamb, sauce spooned over, almonds and pine nuts scattered.
Domoda
Chicken thighs (or lamb) are browned, onions and tomato cooked down with garlic and a single whole chilli, then the meat simmers in stock until tender. A loose peanut paste is stirred in for the final 20 minutes, kept thin enough to ladle. Sweet potato or pumpkin softens in the sauce. A spoon of lime juice at the end balances the richness.
Mafé
Bone-in beef or lamb is browned, then simmered with onions, garlic, tomato and stock. Smooth peanut butter is whisked in halfway and the stew thickens to a velvety coating. Chunks of cassava, sweet potato and cabbage cook in the sauce towards the end. Serve over plain steamed white rice.
Bamia Iraqi
Lamb shoulder is browned hard; onion is softened; garlic, baharat and tomato paste join. Stock, tamarind, dried lime and tinned tomato deglaze. The lamb is braised for 75 minutes. Small whole okra goes in the last 25 minutes (long enough to soften, short enough not to disintegrate). Taqliya, crushed garlic and coriander sizzled in oil, is drizzled over at the end.