Baked layered rice with spinach and lamb

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add one of the onions to the pan with the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and spices and fry gently for 4 minutes. Add the meat and enough water to cover, then bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
2. Beat the yoghurt with the egg yolks and saffron liquid in a shallow dish. Drain the cooled meat well and add it to the yoghurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the remaining onion and fry gently until soft and lightly coloured. Add the spinach and turn it about in the pan until wilted. Cook over a medium heat to evaporate any excess liquid, then set aside. When cool, squeeze the spinach to remove any residual liquid and chop it roughly.
4. Wash the rice thoroughly, then leave it to soak in a generous amount of lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Swish it around with your fingers every now and then to loosen the starch.
5. Strain the rice, rinsing it again with warm water. Bring 2 litres water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and stir in the strained rice. Return the water to a rolling boil and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Test the rice by pinching a grain between your fingers or by biting it. It should be soft on the outside, but still hard in the centre. Strain the rice and rinse again with warm water. Toss it several times to drain away as much of the water as you can.
6. Preheat the oven to 190ºC and butter a 2 litre ovenproof dish. Remove the lamb from the yoghurt marinade. Mix half the parboiled rice with the marinade and spoon it into the base and up the sides of the ovenproof dish. Arrange the lamb on top of the rice, then cover with the spinach. Dot the prunes over the spinach, then spoon in the remaining rice to cover and smooth the surface. Cover tightly with a sheet of lightly buttered foil and bake for 1½ hours.
7. Remove the dish from the oven and dot the surface of the rice with bits of butter. Replace the foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Turn the rice out onto a warm serving platter and serve with a bowl of creamy yoghurt and a selection of relishes or pickles.