Habeet — Basra-Style Lamb with Date Molasses and Rice

Finely chop the onions and cook them in oil over medium heat for more than 10 minutes, until their edges turn deep brown. This is where habeet gets its dark color; a dish made with yellow onion will look pale. Add the crushed garlic during the last 1 minute.

Drain excess marinade from the meat and pat it dry with paper towels; wet meat will not brown. Brown it in batches in the pot, turning until all sides are dark, then return all the pieces to the pot.

Add the spice blend, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Pour in the water. Once it boils, skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low and cook until the meat is tender enough to pull from the bone. Leave the lid ajar to let steam escape and the sauce reduce.

Sauté the rinsed rice in butter in a pot for 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and salt. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 12 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes with a towel tucked under the lid.

Add the remaining date molasses and lemon juice to the pot. Cook uncovered until the sauce thickens into a dark glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Do not add the molasses at the beginning; sugar left to boil for a long time will burn and turn bitter. Taste the sauce; if the sweetness is too strong, add another 15 ml lemon juice.

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Spread the rice on a wide platter, arrange the lamb on top, and spoon over the dark sauce. Serve with yogurt and pickles; both provide a sharp contrast to the sweetness.