Yakhni Pulao

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 kg mutton, cut into medium size pieces (leg)
• 1 large red chile
• 2 1/2 cm gingerroot
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 black cardamom pods (badi elaichi)
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 3 large onions, sliced lengthwise
• 4 tablespoons ghee or 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick (2.5 cm)
• 2 tablespoons yogurt, beaten lightly
• salt, to taste

Recipe

• 1 gently wash and soak the rice in water. set aside.
• 2 cook the mutton with the red chilli, ginger, fennel seeds, black and green cardamoms, coriander seeds and salt in a pressure cooker, adding eight cups of water. cook till tender, about 20 minutes.
• 3 remove all the spices and strain the stock.
• 4 the stock should measure five cups. add water if the stock is not sufficient. set aside.
• 5 keep the mutton pieces separately.
• 6 in a heavy bottomed vessel, heat the ghee (or oil), and add the bay leaf and cinnamon.
• 7 add half the sliced onions and fry till light brown.
• 8 add the mutton and the beaten yogurt and fry for a few minutes.
• 9 stir in the rice gently, ensuring that it does not break. add the stock and cook the rice.
• 10 cover and bring the stock to a boil over high heat, then simmer till the rice gets cooked.
• 11 heat a little oil in a pan and fry the remaining onions till brown.
• 12 sprinkle the fried onions over rice just before serving.