Mutton Pulao - Pakistani Style spice infused Mutton Pilaf

Muslims all over the world are getting ready to celebrate Eid this coming week. Every household has its own Eid traditions in Pakistan. Those of us who live away from Pakistan try to continue those traditions to ensure our kids stay connected to our culture. Eid ul Azha or Bari Eid as it is called in Pakistan is centered around food and family. This Eid is a bit more stressful because of the involvement of qurbani or animal sacrifice. Those who are incharge of qurbani at home, understand the preparation needed to buy animals for this ritual and arrange for the help needed for qurbani. Whichever day a household chooses to do qurbani is a chaotic one in the kitchen. The BBQs and the roasted raans – leg of lamb surely follow in the days ahead.

Eid is also the time to include the less fortunate ones in our celebration and remember those who are no longer with us.

I am sharing my favorite recipe of Mutton pulao. This pulao is beautifully flavored and deliciously fragrant. The stock is the key ingredient in this pulao. Stock can be prepared a night before, which can significantly reduce cooking time on a very busy day. Eid Mubarak to everyone! Here is the recipe.

Ingredients for Mutton Stock

Mutton – 1 kilo

Onions – 6 medium – sliced

Bay Leaves – 2-3

Ginger – 2 inch

Garlic – 6 large cloves whole

Cinnamon – 2 inch

Peppercorns – 1 tbsp

Cloves – 12-14

Black Cardamom – 5

Cumin – 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp.

Salt – 2 tsp (adjust to taste later while cooking rice)

Oil – 5 tbsp

Water – 6-7 cups

Stock- Procedure :

1. Use a stockpot to make the stock. Heat oil in the pan and fry diced onions till brown.
2. Add ginger garlic and fry for about a minute till they get a bit of color.
3. Add mutton and fry on high heat till it changes color on all sides.
4. Add all the spices and fry for a minute or 2.
5. Add 6-7 cups of water and salt. Once it comes to a boil lower the heat and cover the pan. The stock should simmer on low heat for 55-70 mins or till the meat is cooked perfectly.

Once done, let the stock cool. Strain it and separate the meat. Use the stock as per your requirement and save the rest to use for next matar pulao. I was using all of the cooked meat but the stock was more than what I needed so I froze the rest for later use.

 Ingredients for Pulao/Pilaf

 

Basmati Rice - 1/2 kgs - 2 cups ( will feed 3 people)

Onion - 1 medium - diced

Green Chili – 1

Cinnamon – 1 inch
Cumin – 1tsp
Peppercorn – 12 whole
Black Cardamom - 2
Cloves – 6-8
Mutton Stock (Including the cooked meat)– 2 ½ to 3 cups for 2 cups of soaked rice.
Salt - to taste. Be careful as the stock already has salt.
Oil – 2 tbsp

Pulao/Pilaf - Procedure:

1. Wash and soak the rice for atleast an hour before making the pulao.
2. Add 2 table spoons of oil in a pan and fry the onions till brown.
3. Add all the dry spices and cook for about a minute.
4. Add 2 ½ cups of stock along with the meat and let it boil.
5. Add 2 whole green chilies. I love the fragrance they add to the rice. You can eliminate it if you wish.
6. Drain the rice and add to the hot stock. Let the rice simmer over medium heat for about 5-8 mins. Once 1/4^th of the stock is remaining, put the rice on dum/steaming.
7. I use a hot griddle over the open flame or over electric stove. Seal the pan with aluminum foil and cover tightly with a lid, Put the sealed pan over the hot griddle over low heat. Add a bit of weight on the top to stop the steam from escaping. Use minimum heat setting/low flame for steaming.
8. The rice should be done in about 10-12 mins. Remove from heat and open the pan carefully as it would have tons of seam inside.
9. Mix the rice and fluff them. Let them sit for about 5-7 mins before serving hot.

This pulao serves well with yogurt raita or mint chutney, coupled with shami kebabs or potato cutlets.

Firni - Pakistani Rice Pudding

Rice puddings are part of quite a few cuisines around the world. Be it Thailand, UK, Iran, Bangladesh, Norway, Egypt, Puerto Rico or Pakistan. Everyone has their own versions of rice puddings prepared with the local ingredients. Thais make theirs with coconut milk and serve it with mango, Iranians make it with saffron infused milk, Danish add butter and cinnamon to their rice pudding and serve it on Christmas eve & the Egyptians make it with nutmeg and rosewater.

It seems all around the world including Pakistan, joyous occasions are celebrated with some version of rice pudding on the table. Pakistan has two variations of rice puddings. One is called Kheer which is heavy and creamy. The other one is called Firni which is lighter and thinner in texture. 

Both types of rice puddings are cooked for the wedding feasts or for the festivals of Eid. Kheer is usually cooked in winters while firni is cooked during long summers and served cold in small earthen bowls called thootis. I have a preference for Firni and love to make it on the festivals of Eid. 

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 liter (full cream)

Evaporated milk – 250 ml

Basmati Rice – ¾ cup (Grounded to powder/fine granules)

Sugar – ½ cup

Green Cardamom – 4

Kewra water/Orris Water  - 2 tsp (also called screwpine essence or Pandan essence)

Slivered almonds –  50 gms

Pistachio – 50 gms (finally chopped, unsalted)

Method:

1. Wash the basmati rice with cold water 3 times. Drain water and put the rice on a kitchen paper to dry. Leave them in sun for an hour or leave them overnight in the kitchen to dry completely. Then in a coffee or spice grinder, grind the rice along with 4 green cardamoms to tiny granules cum powder form.
2. Boil the milk in a pan and add the powdered/granulated rice. Once it starts boiling lower the heat and let it cook for 6-7 mins.
3. Now add evaporated milk and cook for another 5 mins. The objective here is to cook the rice thoroughly without drying too much liquid.
4. Now add sugar and mix. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or till rice is completely cooked and the milk is 3/4^th of the original quantity.
5. The mixture should be thick like custard and should cover the back of the spoon. (See the photo)
6. Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 10 mins.  Firni will start becoming thick as it cools down. Now add 2 tsp of kewra water and mix.
7. Allow is to cool completely and refrigerate it in a plastic container.
8. Once the firni is chilled, spoon it in to serving bowls. Top with slivered almonds and chopped pistachios. Serve chilled.

The evaporated milk can be replaced with condensed milk. In that case the sugar quantity needs to be reduced as condensed milk is far sweeter than evaporated milk.  

Also you can try using rose water if kewra water is not available. I would love to use edible silver for garnish if available.  

Firni can be made a day in advance. It can sit in the fridge for 2-3 days as well. 

Whole Masoor Daal / Kali Daal

Whole masoor daal somehow always reminds me of scorching summer of Pakistan. In ammi's house, it was especially cooked in peak summer season. Coming home from school and finding out our favorite daal was for lunch being served with boiled aromatic basmati rice made the siblings very happy. The daal and rice are usually served with a mango pickle and mint & yogurt chutney. 

I am sharing this recipe for my favorite lentil while remembering my school days in Pakistan, unending summers, 40 degrees centigrade and an afternoon nap.

I have used a pressure cooker to cook this lentil as it reduces cooking time considerably. This lentil can be cooked without a pressure cooker as well which will take around 60 mins if pre-soaked. 

Ingredients:

Water – 3 cups (750 ml)

Oil – 3 tbsp

Whole Masoor Lentil – 1 cup

Ginger/Garlic paste – 1 Tbsp

Cumin – 1 Tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Red Chili powder – ½ tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Dry Mango powder / Amchoor powder – 1 tbsp (optional)

For Tarka : Oil Tempering 

Oil – 3 Tbsp

Garlic – 4-5 cloves

Cumin – ½ tsp

Rai seeds/Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Dry Red chilies – 3 Whole

Green chili – 1-2 chopped

Curry leave – 6-7 fresh (optional)

Coriander leaves – Handful chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Wash & soak Lentil overnight. It will become more than double in size.
2. Heat oil in pressure cooker and add ginger garlic paste. Let it brown.
3. Now add cumin seeds, cumin powder, salt and chili powder. Cook for 30 sec.
4. Drain the lentil and put it in the pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water. Put cooker’s lid on for pressure.
5. Overnight soaked lentil will take 10 mins. Ensure heat is medium.
6. After 10 mins of pressure cooking open the pressure cooker (I do that by putting the pressure cooker under cold water. it condenses the steam in the cooker quickly). The Lentils might require around 3/4th of a cup of more water after pressure cooking. Mix and boil further for 5 mins.
7. Add the dry mango powder and mix.
8. Now prepare the Tarka by heating the oil in a frying pan.
9. Brown the garlic, add cumin, mustard seeds, green chilies, dry red chilies. Pour over the Lentil.
10. Garnish with Fresh coriander.

Matar Pulao - Pea Pulao

While learning how to cook in ammi's kitchen, i was repeatedly told cooking the perfect basmati rice took years of practice as basmati rice happen to have a mind of their own. I was always nervous about cooking pulao rice and biryani. It has taken me nearly 10 years to get my pulao right. Biryani is still far from perfection. But i am trying! 

The fragrance of ammi's pulao would welcome you long before you entered the house. She spent time and energy in getting the stock right which was the prime ingredient in cooking the delectable pulao. I have learnt to do the same which leads to results that almost always exceed expectation. Ammi served this pulao with chicken curry or potato meat curry.

In my house i usually serve it with shami kebab and mint chutney. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients: 

Rice – 1 cup

Chicken Stock – 1 ½ cup - Homemade

Peas (Matar) – 1 cup (Frozen or Fresh - avoid using sweet peas)

Onion – 1 Medium sized (chopped)

Oil – 2 Tblsp

Salt – 1 heaped tsp

Black Cardamoms – 2 (whole)

Cinnamon sticks – 2
Whole peppercorns - 8-10

Cumin – 1 tsp,

Cloves – 4-5

Bay leaves – 2, (whole).

Green Chili – 1 whole

Method:

1. Wash the rice 3 times with cold water and soak it for 30 mins before cooking.
2. Heat the oil in a pan (it should have a lid) and add onions to it. Let it color.
3. Add all dry spices to it and fry till onions are dark brown.
4. Add the green chili as well.
5. Now add stock and bring it to boil on medium heat.
6. Add peas; boil for only a minute more.
7. Now drain water from the rice and add them to the boiling stock. Wait for it to boil again on medium heat.
8. In the mean while put on a tava/ griddle or a heat diffuser on medium flame on another stove. This will be used to steam cook the rice.
9. Once the liquid with rice in it starts boiling, wait for 3/4 of the stock to be evaporated.
10. Now place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the cooking pot and seal the pan with the lid ensuring the steam does not escape. Put it over the hot tava/heat diffuser and reduce the heat to low.
11. Let the rice cook for 12-15 mins on lowest heat on the stove over the griddle. Open the pan after 15 mins. The water should be dried up and the rice should be cooked completely. 
12. Mix the rice with the wooden spoon. Let it sit for 5 mins before serving hot.