🇹🇿 Tanzanian / Swahili · Meat Dishes
🍚 Tanzanian Lamb Pilau
Pilau ya Kondoo
Pilau ya Kondoo — Zanzibar lamb pilau. Tender lamb slow-cooked in Zanzibar whole spices, its rich broth used to cook fragrant basmati rice to golden perfection. The grandest Eid ul-Adha dish of the Tanzanian coast.
Lamb pilau is made specifically for Eid ul-Adha — the festival of sacrifice — when lamb is the celebratory meat. The full Zanzibar spice array, the patient slow simmer of the lamb, and the fragrant rice cooked in the spiced broth produce a dish of extraordinary significance and flavour.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large sufuria, Spice grinder
- 1 kg lamb — bone-in
- 4 cups basmati rice — soaked
- 3 onions — thinly sliced
- 5 tomatoes — diced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 5 tbsp oil
- 3 tsp salt
- ¼ cup coriander
Zanzibar Spices
- 3 tsp cumin seeds
- 10 cardamom pods
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 10 cloves
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 star anise
Method
- Toast and grind half the spices. Keep half whole.
- Brown lamb. Remove.
- Cook onions deeply golden — 12 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, spices, tomatoes. Cook 10 minutes.
- Return lamb. Add 8 cups water. Simmer 60—75 minutes until very tender.
- Remove lamb. Measure broth — need 7 cups.
- Add rice to broth. Boil. Cover. Lowest heat 20 minutes.
- Place lamb on top of rice for final steaming.
- Rest 12 minutes. Serve.
Chef Tips
- See TZA025 for goat pilau technique — lamb pilau follows the same method.
- Lamb broth is slightly milder than goat — use slightly more spice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing the lamb simmer.
- Incorrect broth measurement for rice.
The Science
See TZA025 for pilau cooking science.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- High protein.
- Rich in iron and B12.
- Celebration food.
Cultural Note
Lamb pilau for Eid ul-Adha is the most significant food of Tanzania's Islamic calendar — the dish that marks the day of sacrifice and is shared with the community, the neighbours, and the less fortunate.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 4 days.
Reheating: Covered in oven.
Serve with: Kachumbari, Raita, Coconut Chutney