 Iraqi quzi | |
| Alternative names | Quzi, Qoozi, Ghuzi, Ghoozi |
|---|---|
| Course | Meal |
| Place of origin |  Iraq |
| Region or state | Middle East, Persian Gulf and North Africa |
| Associatedcuisine | Iraqi cuisine |
| Created by | Iraqis |
| Main ingredients | Lamb, rice, roasted nuts and raisins |
Quzi (Arabic:قوزي), also spelled asqoozi orghoozi, is a popular rice-based dish and is considered one ofIraq's national dishes. It is served with very slowly cookedlamb, roasted nuts, and raisins served over rice.[1] The dish can also be found in someArab states of thePersian Gulf.[citation needed]
The Arabic wordquzi (Arabic:قوزي) comes fromTurkishkuzu (Ottoman Turkish:قوزی) meaning 'lamb'.[2][3] Different pronunciations and spellings are used across the Arab world, common ones includequzi,ouzi (أوزي),qouzi, orghoozi.[4]
Quzi originally referred to a dish made of lamb stuffed with rice and ground meat, but now refers to a variety of dishes with similar ingredients.[5][3] For example, some chicken and rice dishes are referred to as quzi.[6]
InIraqi cuisine, it is usually prepared by stuffing a whole lamb with rice, vegetables, spices and nuts and slow-cooking it over a closed or submerged oven.[5] In some places in the Middle East it is buried in a pit containing burning coal or charcoal to get the smoky flavor.
There are many variations to this technique such as inSaudi Arabia andYemen, where it is calledmadfoon, cooked by being wrapped in aluminium foil and kept on an open heat source. InOman andUAE it is calledshuwaa and is traditionally eaten on festive occasions, prepared by wrapping the marinated meat in date palm leaves and placing the wrapped meat in a submerged oven.
InJordan, andSyria it is known aszarb; the meat is portioned into smaller pieces and kept along with vegetables and bread dough so that the flavors are enhanced.[citation needed] Some versions in the Levant use chicken next to or in place of lamb.[6][7]
Another version popular in Jordan and Syria uses ground lamb meat instead of whole lamb, sometimes presented as a pilaf with carrots and peas,[3][8] originally, this was used as the filling forsurar ouzi (Levantine Arabic:صرر أوزي,lit. 'ouzi pouches'[9]), which are parcels of thin dough that are stuffed and baked, but contemporary versions call the stuffing itself "ouzi".[10][3] It is especially popular in Syria, and often served for special occasions like weddings or to guests.[9][11] Traditionally,surar ouzi was a popular way to package food for people "on the go" such as the nomadic bedouins.[12]
Another variant is calledhaneeth where it is cooked inside a hottabun; this variation can be found in most Middle Eastern countries as well as the Horn of Africa and North Africa.
