by Adelina Aida

Quzi is an Emirati dish made with rice and mostly with lamb meat, but there is a unique way to do it. This dish is traditionally made from lamb, but today it can be cooked of meat like chicken and beef, Fish, etc. The vegetarian version of QUZI is cooked in which different vegetables are added with rice. But original Qoozi is the dish of meat probably lamb and rice. Rice is cooked separately and lamb large pieces are roasted with some marinations and then serve on the bed of rice. Other ingredients are a few vegetables and eggs with nuts like walnuts, almonds, peanuts are added. A huge tray or huge plate is used to serve the rice with the lamb piece. One large lamb piece is most likely to use on this dish.

When a huge piece of meat is cooked, it is required to cook on low heat for a long time so the meat is tendered completely and then served. So this meat is basically lamb meat which required a long cooking time and marination time is also required. So marination of lamb done before a day that will make the lamb to juicy and all the flavors invaginates into the meat. Then roasting of low heat is done to cook it completely. When cooked, the outer crispiness of the meat is done by high up the flames and then served on the rice.

Rice is also simple rice with some spices. Rice with vegetables is also an element of the dish. Mostly used vegetables in the rice are potatoes, peas, carrots, etc. Some herbs and spices are used to make it fragrant and tasty. Nuts are the main element of Arabic dishes. Nuts like roasted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, raisins, etc are added on the garnish or in the rice while cooking.

ETYMOLOGY

The name of this dish is a word from the Turkish Language and Arabic languages. The word Quzi is the word of the Arabic language and KUZU of the Turkish language. Both words of different languages have the same meaning in English that is Lamb.

QUZI is the name of the dish in which lamb is served over the rice.

This dish has many alternative names like the following :

• Quzi
• Kuzi
• Koozi
• Qoozi
• Ghoozi

This dish is very famous in the Arabic world and even outside the UAE. In Asia, many other dishes of the same Quzi are cooked and named differently. This is mainly a dish from IRAQ, but now cooked in many varieties and cooked in many other regions.

• Iraq
• Persian
• Saudia Arabia
• Yemen
• Syria
• Oman
• Jordan, etc

VARIATIONS OF THE DISH QUZI

This dish has different variations regarding to the culture and taste of that region :

IRAQ

In Iraqi cuisine, the lamb with stuffed rice and vegetables are added to a large cooking pot and then cook all things together all the elements. Then this is served on a large platter. This dish has elements like :

• Rice
• Lamb boneless pieces
• Nuts like raisins and almonds
• Vegetable like carrots and potatoes

MIDDLE EAST

In this dish, Lamb is roasted along with spices and herbs, and rice is cooked separately with having many whole spices like :

• Star anise
• Cinnamon
• Nut meg
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Black pepper cones
• Cumin seeds

In these dishes, other complementary elements are Olives, Lemon, Mint leaves, etc

MADFOON

This is the name dish like Quzi but has a different name. Madfoon means a combination of rice, meat, and vegetables. In madfoon vegetables are added with meat into the rice. Vegetables are also roasted with some spices marination,

Madfoon is the name of this dish in regions like :

• Saudia Arabia
• Yemen

SHUWAA

This dish is from OMAN. In this dish elements are the same but the serving is different. They serve the lamb cooked Palm leaves. It is used to moist the meat and this is cooked by steaming.

Lamb is cooked by steaming and rice is flavored and served by mixing rice with lamb cooked in palm leaves.

This dish is when served, pomegranate seeds are added for nice color and taste.

ZARB

This dish is cooked with small pieces of lamb meat with rice. Rice is cooked in flavors and spices with small lamb pieces.

This dish has the same element and it is from regions :

• Yemen
• Syria

It is cooked by roasting in the sand and now from the new technique in the oven.

GARNISHING

Garnish this dish with different ingredients like

• Cilantro
• Green chilies
• Nuts
• Raisins
• Mint leaves
• Coriander leaves

SERVED WITH

• Boiled Eggs
• Hummus
• Baba Ganoush
• Arabian Tea, etc.

INGREDIENTS FOR MEAT

1. Lamb with bone large piece = 1 lbs
2. Garlic chopped = 2 tbsp
3. Ginger chopped = 2 tbsp
4. Lemon Juice = 6 tbsp
5. Yogurt = 1/2 cup
6. Oil = 1/2 cup
7. Salt = 1 tbsp
8. Red pepper = 1 tbsp
9. Green chilies paste = 4 tbsp

COOKING METHOD

1. Take lamb Meat and marinate it dry spices and lemon juice, garlic, ginger and oil.
2. Pre heat the oven for 20 minutes on 220 degree while marinating the lamb meat.
3. Wrap the lamb marination in the aluminium foil and then cook it in the oven
4. Now roast the lamb piece on 120 degree for 60 minutes.
5. When meat is cooked properly, remove the foil and let it set for serving.

INGREDIENTS FOR RICE :

1. Rice = 2 lbs
2. Salt = 1 tablespoon
3. Cumin = 2 tablespoons
4. Black peppercones = 2 tablespoons
5. Saffron = 1 pinch
6. Green Cardamom = 2
7. Vegetable oil = 6 tbsp
8. Black cardamon = 2
9. Bay leaves = 2
10. Meat broth = 2 cups

COOKING METHOD

1. Take 2 cups of water and 2 cups of broth and add spices in it.
2. When water started to boil add rice into it.
3. When water is absorbed, turn down the heat and cover the lid to create the steam.
4. Cook rice in steam for 20 minutes and its ready to serve.

Nuts

1. Raisins = 4 tbsp
2. Peanuts = 2 tbsp
3. Almonds = 4 tbsp

For Garnishing

1. Hard boil eggs = 2
2. Fried Onions = 4 tbsp
3. Mint leaves = few
4. Coriander leaves = 2 tbsp

SERVING

1. Take the large platter and add rice at the bottom of the plate
2. Now place cooked lamb over the rice on the platter.
3. Add roasted nuts and garnish on the top
4. Serve !