Syrian Ozi
Damascene Ozi, a Syrian rice-and-meat dish, from Chef Omar's recipe: lamb is boiled with onion and spices; yogurt-and-cucumber salad is prepared; peas are boiled with a pinch of sugar; and rice is cooked with ghee and lamb stock. The filling is then prepared and stuffed/arranged inside Ozi pastry sheets, brushed with ghee, garnished with almonds, and baked in the oven until browned. Serve hot with yogurt-and-cucumber salad.
A Syrian rice-and-meat dish often served for gatherings and celebrations.
Similar to a festive stuffed rice casserole or pilaf.
Ingredients
- 1 kg lamb meat
- 3 or 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- to taste whole black peppercorns
- a few pieces (kebesh) cloves
- 5 pods cardamom
- 2 pieces dried black limes
- 3 leaves bay leaves
- 1 large onion
- boiling water
- cucumber
- 1 container traditional yogurt
- 4 cloves garlic
- a pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- water
- to taste peas
- a small pinch sugar
- 1.2 tablespoons ghee
- 5 cups rice
- 1 teaspoon and a very small pinch salt
- 5 cups and a small finjan stock water
- for garnish almonds
- to taste grated cheese
- to taste chopped parsley
- mentioned in the spoken instructions without an amount pine nuts
- mentioned in the spoken instructions ghee for brushing the surface of the pastry
- mentioned in the spoken instructions Ozi pastry sheets/pastry dough
- mentioned in the spoken instructions pea cooking water
- mentioned generally in the spoken instructions nuts
Instructions
- In a pot over the heat, add vegetable oil, then add whole black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, and onion, and sauté the spices with the onion.
- In the same pot, add the lamb meat and stir until browned, then pour boiling water over it.
- In the same pot, leave the meat over high heat, then reduce the heat until it is cooked through.
- In a small pot over the heat, boil the peas in water with a small pinch of sugar; bring them to the boil two or three times, then remove them and set aside.
- In a pot over the heat, prepare the stock water, then add the ghee, rice, and salt with the stated amount of stock water, and leave the rice to cook until done.
- In a bowl, mix the traditional yogurt with chopped cucumber, garlic, salt, and dried mint to make yogurt-and-cucumber salad.
- In a tray or bowl, mix the cooked meat with the rice, peas, and the nuts mentioned in the spoken instructions, then set the filling aside ready.
- On the work surface, lay out the Ozi pastry sheets or moistened pastry sheets in two layers, as stated in the spoken instructions.
- On an oven tray, place the pastry layers, then brush the surface with ghee.
- On the same oven tray, garnish the surface with almonds, then place it in a hot oven until the pastry sheets are browned.
- After removing the tray from the oven, serve the Ozi hot with yogurt-and-cucumber salad.