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Lamb chops, rice, and yogurt sauce
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Roasted Rack of Lamb w/ Turkish Spices, Yogurt Sauce, and Rice

A recipe inspired by travel to Istanbul, from the use of sweet apricots in savory dishes, to the yogurt, the rice pilafs, pistachios, and spice mixes.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Lamb
Cuisine: turkish
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Turkish Spiced Rack of Lamb:

  • 1 large red onion (cut into wedges)
  • 5 apricots (quartered)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 2 racks lamb
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sumac (if you can find it)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Rice with Chickpeas, Raisins, and Crispy Onions:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cooked basmati rice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup roasted chopped pistachios (optional)
  • salt and pepper

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 small cucumber (diced)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

To make the lamb:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, add the red onion and apricots. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes just to get them going and set aside.
  • Clean the lamb and pat dry. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sear the rack of lamb on both sides. Combine all the spices and herbs in a small bowl and rub the mixture onto the seared lamb.
  • Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in the oven uncovered for about 12 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow the meat to rest for another 10 minutes before serving.

To make the rice:

  • In a small saucepan over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cumin and curry powder and fry for about 5 seconds. Then add the chickpeas along with a bit of salt. Stir everything around to warm and crisp up the chickpeas, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
  • Toss the sliced onion with the flour until it’s all lightly coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Test the oil temperature by tossing in a piece of onion. If it sizzles vigorously, it’s ready. Fry the onions in batches until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. In a big bowl, toss together the cooked rice, parsley, cilantro, raisins, pistachios, chickpeas, crispy onions, and salt and pepper to taste.

To make the Cucumber Yogurt Sauce:

  • Stir together all the ingredients in a bowl.