Kabuli pulao

Pat the lamb shoulder dry, cut it off the bone into about three-inch chunks, avoiding the fat; it shrinks as it cooks.

Dice the onion. Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until they begin to caramelize.

Add the lamb and cook until browned.

Add the water, salt, brown cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and saffron threads; mix, cover, turn the heat down and simmer one hour, until the meat is tender.

Peel the carrots and julienne them: halve, lay on the side, halve again, then cut into strips.

Heat the quarter cup of oil in a pan, add the carrots and brown sugar and sauté until lightly browned; remove the carrots.

Add the raisins to the oil and cook until swollen.

Take the lamb out of the braising dish.

Add the basmati rice to the simmering broth, put the lid on and cook until the rice is tender, roughly 15 minutes. After 25 minutes the rice was still firm.

Add half a cup of water, keep the lid on and simmer about 10 minutes more until the rice is cooked.

Grease a casserole dish with vegetable oil; add the lamb, carrots, raisins and rice and mix well.

Cover with tin foil and bake 40 minutes.

Add a touch more salt to taste and top with slivered almonds.