Chekdirme (Çekdirme) — Turkmen Lamb and Tomato Rice

• 400 glong-grain rice
• 600 glamb shoulder (cut into 3 cm cubes)
• 40 glamb tail fat
• 30 mlsunflower oil
• 2yellow onions (about 300 g total, thinly sliced)
• 2carrots (about 150 g total, cut into fine matchsticks)
• 300 gripe tomatoes (grated or finely chopped)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 4 clovegarlic (thinly sliced)
• 1.5 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 12 gfine sea salt
• 850 mlboiling water
• 180 ggatyk (plain cultured yogurt for serving)
• 1Turkmen corek bread (torn at the table)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the rice in several changes of cool water until the water runs nearly clear, then soak it in fresh cool water for 20 minutes. This removes surface starch so the finished Chekdirme has separate grains rather than a sticky mass.

2. 2

   Set a heavy kazan or wide Dutch oven over medium heat and add the lamb tail fat with the sunflower oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and any small browned cracklings are golden.

3. 3

   Increase the heat to medium-high and add the lamb cubes in a single layer as much as possible. Brown the meat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it several times, until the edges are deeply colored and the base of the pot smells roasted.

4. 4

   Add the sliced onions and cook for 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot so the onion juices lift the browned lamb fond. Stir in the carrots, garlic, cumin seeds, black pepper, and salt, then cook for 4 minutes until the aromatics soften.

5. 5

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook it against the hot fat for 2 minutes so it darkens slightly. Add the grated tomatoes and 350 ml of the boiling water, then cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the lamb is partly tender and the broth is brick red.

6. 6

   Drain the soaked rice thoroughly and spread it evenly over the lamb mixture without stirring it into the meat. Pour over the remaining 500 ml boiling water, bring to a steady simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until the water level drops just below the rice surface.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and steam for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the covered pot rest for 10 minutes, which is part of the palaw turkmen style of finishing rice by trapped steam.

8. 8

   Fluff the rice gently from the edges toward the center, lifting the lamb and vegetables through the grains without crushing them. Serve hot with 30 g gatyk per person and torn corek bread alongside for a traditional family-table meal.