Omani Arsiya (creamy rice & meat porridge)

Recipe No.: G-40

Gulf150 minServes 8

Arsiya is one of the best-known Omani foods at Eid: a rice and shredded meat porridge cooked long until cohesive and finished with ghee. Omanis serve it on the first morning of Eid and at gatherings, and the name is linked to weddings (urs) though its origin is not confirmed.

Ingredients for Omani Arsiya

• For the arsiya
• 1 kgbone-in lamb (or 1 whole 1.5 kg chicken)
• 2 cupsshort-grain rice (Egyptian or Omani), washed
• 2onions, chopped, and 5 cloves garlic
• 3 tbspghee
• 1cinnamon stick, 5 cardamom pods, 4 cloves and 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tspblack pepper and salt
• 2.5 litreswater
• For the topping
• 4 tbspmelted ghee
• 1onion, sliced and fried crisp (optional)

Method

1. Brown the onion in the ghee, add the meat, garlic, spices and turmeric and stir 8 minutes.
2. Add the water and salt and simmer 1½ hours (45 minutes for chicken) until the meat is very tender.
3. Lift out the meat, shred it off the bones and keep the broth.
4. Add the rice to the broth (about 6 cups) and cook on low 30 to 40 minutes, stirring, until it breaks down into a thick porridge.
5. Return the shredded meat and beat with a wooden masher or hand beater for 2 minutes until smooth and cohesive.
6. Spoon into a deep dish, make a well in the centre, pour in the ghee and top with fried onion.

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