This rice with a delicious lemony vegetable sauce called hamud is much loved in Egypt. Use chicken giblets or a chicken carcass to make a rich stock. It is also acceptable to use bouillon cubes. Serve this to accompany chicken dishes.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　2 cups long-grain rice

　　1 turnip, cut into pieces

　　1 large potato, cut into small pieces

　　2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

　　2 leeks, thinly sliced

　　2 or 3 zucchini, thinly sliced

　　2 quarts chicken stock (page 143)

　　Salt and pepper

　　4 cloves garlic, chopped

　　Juice of 1–2 lemons, to taste

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

　　2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

　　

Step 1

Prepare plain rice according to one of the recipes on pages 337–339.

　　

Step 2

Put all the vegetables in a pan with the stock. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon juice. (Start with the lesser amount of lemon juice and add more later.) The sauce is meant to be very tart.

　　

Step 3

Simmer gently, covered, for about 45 minutes, until the potato has practically disintegrated and the other vegetables are extremely soft, adding water if necessary. Add the mint and parsley towards the end. Serve, pouring the sauce over each portion of rice with a ladle.

　　

Variation

Step 4

Put 6 chicken wings, or 1 or 2 breast halves, in with the vegetables. Remove skin and bones and cut up into small pieces before serving.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf