Name: Lebanese Lamb and Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400 g minced lamb; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 pcs onion; 1 cloves garlic clove; 2.5 dl long-grain rice; 5 dl chicken stock (diluted) or lamb stock; 30 g pistachio nut; 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped; 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped; 1 pcs cucumber; 0.5 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp pepper; 0.5 pcs lemon juice (half a lemon); 2 tbsp olive oil

UntrainedChef

Tips from the kitchen

Brown the lamb on high heat and don't stir it too much at first. You want some colour on it, not just grey steamed mince. A couple of minutes without touching it does the job.
The rice absorbs the stock completely, so the amount matters. Stick to the 5 dl and resist the urge to add more liquid if it looks dry at the 10-minute mark. It will come good.
That 5-minute rest off the heat is doing real work. The rice finishes cooking in the steam and the whole thing firms up so it doesn't turn to mush when you stir in the pistachios.
Smash the cucumber just before serving. If it sits in the lemon juice and olive oil for too long it goes watery and loses its crunch, which is the whole point of smashing it instead of slicing it.

Ways to vary it

You can swap the pistachios for toasted pine nuts if that's what you have. The flavour is different but it works just as well with the lamb and herbs.
A pinch of cinnamon and allspice stirred in with the onion gives the whole dish a more pronounced Lebanese spice profile. The base recipe is mild enough that kids usually go for it, so add the spices on the side of the pan if you're cooking for mixed tastes.
The smashed cucumber works as a side, but you could also fold some plain Greek yoghurt through it to make it more of a raita-style sauce to spoon over the rice.

Storage & leftovers

Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. The rice reheats best with a small splash of water in the pan on low heat, lid on, so it steams back to life rather than drying out. The cucumber salad doesn't keep, so make that fresh each time.

What to serve with it

Warm flatbread on the side is great for scooping. A simple tomato salad with red onion fits the Lebanese flavours well if you want something extra on the table.

By Untrained ChefPublished 3 July 2026