Yakhni Pulao (Pilaf) / Rice cooked In Lamb Stock

I realized I haven’t spoken a word about Lamb/Mutton yakhni pulao so far and it is one of my favorite dishes ! Yakhni pulao is basmati rice that is steamed with a meat stock (Broth) made with loads of aromatic spices, like cinnamon, cumin, cloves and cardamoms.  It is surprisingly light and delicate considering the tendency for heaviness with lamb/Mutton and strong spices. 

The word "Pilaf" is borrowed from Turkish pilav, from Persian pilāv, which in turn is borrowed from Sanskrit pulāka.The English term is further influenced by Modern Greek pilafi. Due to the vast spread of the dish, there exist variations of the name in many languages, including plov, polou, palov, pilau etc. It is well known in Trinidad and Tobago as 'pelau'. In Spain their national dish is called Paella, which is also made from rice.

caramelised onions

In the last 10 years I have come across about 20 different recipes of Yakhni Pulao/ Yakhni Pilaf. But i will give you the recipe, which is mainly used in Pakistan, around Karachi area. i personally like this dish because its truly fantastic and not difficult to make.  If you are a lamb lover you must try making this dish– it’s a winner! Each grain of rice perfectly separated, flavours intensified with homemade broth. Slippery ribbons of caramelised onions in every mouthful. Its also called Punjabi Pulao in Pakistan. 

Ingredients for yakhni (stock):

• 1 kg goat meat or lamb with bones, cut into 2" (or bite-sized) pieces
• Salt
• 2 tbsps garlic paste
• 2 tbsps ginger paste
• Aniseed (saunf) 3 tbsp.
• Coriander seeds 2 tbsps.
• Black cumin 1 tsp.
• White cumin 2 tbsps.
• Cinnamon 2 inch piece.
• Cloves 12
• 10 black peppercorns
• Black cardamom 6.
• 6 dried whole red chillies
• Rice 1 kg.
• Onion two (medium, thinly sliced)
• Cooking oil 1/2 cup.

Method:

• If you are using a pressure cooker, put 6 cups of water in it. If using a deep, heavy-bottomed pan, put 8-9 cups of water in it.
• Cut a piece of muslin cloth into a 6" square and place the cinnamon, black cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns, aniseed, coriander and cumin seeds and red chilli  in the center of this square. Gather up the edges and tie tightly with a piece of string to form a bundle. Put this bundle in the pressure cooker/ pan.
• Add the ginger, garlic pastes, meat and salt to taste to the pressure cooker/ pan and close. Boil till the meat is almost cooked.
• Remove the muslin bag (you can throw it out now) and separate the meat from the stock and keep aside. The stock should measure 6 cups. If there is more, boil it down till you get 6 cups. If less add hot water to it to get 6 cups.
• In a separate deep pan, heat the cooking oil and add the chopped onions. Fry till light golden.
• Now add the meat and fry it for 5 mins. now put stock, rice and mix well. Cook on medium flame till the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the flame to a simmer, cover and cook till the rice is done. The rice is done when you press a few grains between your index finger and thumb and they feel firm but mash completely. Turn off the fire and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• This step is optional - While the rice is resting, fry the sliced onions in cooking oil till caramalised and golden. Drain and keep on paper towels.
• Open the pan and stir the rice well, taking care not to break up the pieces of meat.
• Garnish with fried sliced onions (optional) and serve piping hot with a vegetable raita or curry dish of your choice.

TOP TIPS

1- Use old and long grain Basmati Rice

2- Use fresh ginger and garlic

Murg-Do-Pyaza (Chicken Caramalised Onion)

Sorry to 3 precious members of my blog for not posting anything for last 10 days. Actually my mother (Ammi) had come from home town "Allahabad" and She got me a fresh stock of Lazzat-e-Taam, Meetha Ittr, Kewra, Jarakush, Bari etc. I was on a cooking spree, i cooked her favorite Qorma, Yakhni Pulao, Kebabs etc while she cooked Murg-Do-Pyaza, Gobhi Gosht, Qeema Karela, Lazeez Lauki, Nimona etc. 

Munna

Today she is going back so it makes sense to put up one of her favorite recipes, How about Murg-Do-Pyaza ???

Unlike Bombay or any other big cities, in my part of the world (Lucknow and Allahabad) Chicken is usually bought live, cut and then prepared for cooking purposes. 

Broiler Chicken

Country Chicken

Though dressed broiler Chicken is available in the bigger towns (now in small towns too), Purists like me prefer young country chicken. 

 

 Do Pyaza literally means twice onion (people often get confused with Two onions) implying the addition of onions twice to a dish. Ammi also makes Gosht Do Pyaza but personally i prefer Murg-Do-Pyaza

Ingredients

1 kg chicken

400 gms Onions

15 gms Ginger

15 gms Garlic

150 gms Yogurt

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

5 cloves

1 piece cinnamon

6 green cardamons

150 ghee (Clarified Butter)

1/4 tsp nutmeg and mace powder

Salt to taste.

 

Start with the Chicken, Clean and cut the chicken in to 8 pieces, Grind Garlic and Ginger in to a fine paste, mix with yogurt and salt, marinate the chicken in this mixture for about 1 hour. 

Finely slice half the onions and grind half the onions and keep aside. Heat ghee in a degchi (Heavy bottomed pot ), Fry sliced onions till golden brown and crisp. Remove and keep aside. In the remaining ghee add the cloves, cinnamon, and green cardamons. saute for 2 minutes. add ground onion and fry to light brown colour. Add red chilli powder, pepper and coriander powder. Stir and add marinated chicken. Mix thoroughly and cover and cook till moisture dries. Remove the lid and fry the chicken until fat appears on the sides and chicken is browned. When it sticks to the bottom, sprinkle some water and scrape the Masala from the sides. Add 3/4 of the brown crushed onion. Add some water sufficient o make thick gravy. Cook until chicken is tender. Add nutmeg and mace powder. serve garnished with remaining onions. 

TOP TIPS

1-Marinate the Chicken for minimum 1 hour

2-very important to saute the whole spices

3- Don't leave it unattended. sprinkle the water when it starts sticking to the bottom.

RARAH GOSHT (Lamb)- Dum Cusine

RARAH GOSHT

Adaab, I have already discussed the method of Dum Cooking (DUM PUKHT METHOD) earlier in my posts but today lets get in to the finer details of it. Dum cooking is a slow-cooking method dating back to early sixteenth century. It was introduced to India by Mughals however it was further developed in Awadh (Lucknow). Usually Handi/Deg/Degchi are the cookware used for Dum cooking. Dum Pukht is derived from Persian meaning 'air-cooked' or 'baked'.   

Handi is a round spherical shaped clay pot. The bottom is thick. The top has a wide-mouth opening about 85% of the middle of the pot. The opening is supported by a very narrow neck that flares out to form broad rim. There is no handle so the pot is lifted by grabbing the rim. A clay saucer is used as a lid and placed on the top. The lid is sealed with hard paste made of flour and water. The Handi is left on the charcoal for several hours, till the food is to be served. The heat creates the steam, it condenses and rolls down the curved walls. 'Dum' means warm breath signifying the steam. The 'Pukht' means choking. 'Dum Pukht' means choking the steam and prevent it from escaping.There are basically three phases to use   

Par-cooking -Handi is placed on open wood fire to cook food. The spices may be sautéed, raw foods added. The food is half-cooked.    

Dum cooking-Par-cooked food is kept in Handi with minimal amount of water. The lid is placed and sealed with a paste of flour and water. The flames are put out, leaving a bed of hot coals. The heat creates the steam, the steam condenses and rolls down the curved walls. In other words, the steam is choked before it can escape, leading to the term 'Dum Pukht'.

For some of the dishes, the coals may also be placed on the lid to distribute heat evenly.    

Food Service-Eventually, the seal is removed with the knife. Your nostrils will be filled with the natural aroma of all the spices and tender food.
                In 1783, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah re-introduced Dum cooking during the construction of Bara Imam Bara Mosque. For construction workers, food was par-cooked in large clay Handis. The mouth of the Handi was covered with clay saucer and sealed with a paste of flour to prevent the steam from escaping. At present, Dum cooking is in vogue. High priced restaurants offer Dum cooked food in Handi for parties. Large manufacturers in India are introducing Handi style cookware and food service war. 

I recently got my first Degchi in 2010 from Allahabad for Rs. 1200 and the first dish i made was Rarah Gosht  

Ingredients:
Lamb/Mutton Cuts - 1 kg (please include some chops)
Yoghurt - 3/4 cup, whisked
Salt to taste 
Clarified Butter or Ghee- 160 gm
Bay Leaves - 2
Black Cardamoms - 3
Green Cardamoms - 8
Onions - 1 cup, chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste - 4 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 5 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes - 160 gm, chopped
Garlic - 12 gm, chopped
Ginger - 24 gm, shredded
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 4

Method:
To begin with, Marinate the whole lamb with yoghurt and salt for minimum 1 hour. Take a degchi or a pot of your choice. Heat the Ghee. Crackle the whole spices like Black cardamon, green cardamon, bay leaves. Now add finely chopped onions, saute till light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the spices. Add marinated lamb, bring to the boil, reduce flame and simmer, adding 2 tsp water at regular intervals. Add the remaining ingredients. Now seal the pot and cook on a slow flame until the lamb becomes tender. If you are cooking on LPG gas stove 35-40 mins should be fine.

TOP TIPS
1- Don't use packaged Ginger Garlic paste, make your own paste.
2- use fully ripe tomatoes.
3- Don't open the pot until you decide to eat.

PESHAWARI CHAPLI KEBAB

Adaab, you must be wondering that why all of a sudden i have come to Peshawar from Lucknow. Well, there is no definite motivation behind it.  Today, i was telling my wife “Serene” about Peshawar and Khyber Pass,  so i decided to put up the Chapli Kebab recipe which is an iconic dish among the Pashtuns, on Bawarchi Tola. i ate them for the first time in 2005, when I went to Pakistan and immediately fell in love with them. It's an favorite Afghan dish of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Chapli Kebab is made from minced beef or lamb, lightly spiced, and cooked on a large flat griddle in animal fats.

                  Though Chapli Kebab are prepared through out the year at the Kebab restaurants, however it's considered a dish of winter.

It's prepared from Ground Meat, Corn flour, onion and tomato together with some spice including coriander seeds, anardana, chili, ginger, garlic and zeera . Its preparation needs expertise and skills and these skills transfer from race to race.

 Ingredients:

1 kg Ground Beef/Lamb/Mutton

1 Cup/200 gm Beef/Lamb/Mutton Fat or 

200 gm Ghee for shallow fry 
1 Cup Crushed Pomegranate
Half a Cup Solid Pomegranate 
3 Eggs 

3 Finely Chopped Onions
1 ts Coarsely Ground Pepper

1 ts Coarsely Ground red chillies

1 tbs Corn Flour1 whole Crushed Garlic 

1/2 inch Ginger (optional)
1 Tablespoon Crushed Coriander
3 Finely diced Tomatoes
Green Coriander To taste

Green Chilies To taste

Salt To taste 


Method: Mix all of the ingredients with minced beef and knead mixture well. Set aside for 30 to 40 minutes.

Take about 1 ¼ tbsp. of meat mixture in your hand. Place it in center of palm. Roll it to form a smooth ball. Flatten the ball by pressing firmly between your palms. These Kebabs should be a little bigger in size than usual round Kebabs. fry them in a big pan with animal fat and ghee on a very high heat. Take them out on a plate and garnish with the ingredients of your choice. 






Top tips.

1-  Don't use a very lean meat otherwise the Kebab will become very dry.

2- Always shallow fry on a high heat, this will bind the surface of kebab and juice will not come out while frying.

3- Dont use frozen meat

Authentic Biryani- GOSHT KI DUM BIRYANI

When i think of Lucknow it brings to mind the tradition of respect, politeness and the life style of the Nawabs, but what appeals the most to me is the cuisine of Awadh, which in some ways was a culmination of all that was best in art, culture and science. In this region exclusive use of various spices, ghee or clarified butter makes it a different and remarkable cuisine. Also the people and Bawarchi (cooks) in this region believe that "sahaj pakey so meetha hoye" meaning; that which is cooked by slow method is more tasteful. 

  I, with an apology, wanna say to all the Biryani Lovers that there was no concept of the Veg/Chicken Biryani when it was originated or invented. Nevertheless, I feel sad for the people who don't eat Lamb/Mutton but everyone has their own choice of food. So to make profit (Which i think is not bad) restauranteurs, across India, have come up with several kind of Biryanis.  They are not bad but cannot beat Authentic Lamb Biryani. For example Moplah of Kerala, Irani biryani from Parsi Hotels, Hot Andhra ones, the Tamil ones, the Punjabi ones (which often have tomatoes and onions in them), the Maharashtrian spicy ones of Malvani restaurants… The greasy Mumbai stuff of Jafferbhai and Lucky… So if anyone tells you these are authentic biryani then beware, they will next try to sell you fake Raybans Aviators as well.

Check out Nadia’s blog post on the origins of biryani.

Another argument that pisses me off is that only Hyderabadi Biryani is "REAL" Biryani and not the Lucknowi or the Calcutta ones. In my opinion in the battle of Hydrabadi and Awadhi Biryani, the latter one wines by leaps and bounds. 

GOSHT KI DUM AWADHI BIRYANI
 

So Today i am giving you the recipe of Awadhi Biryani. I promise you if you follow the recipe you will never eat any other Biryani unless you are dying of hunger. The method of cooking the Biryani is the "DUM PUKHT" method, which imparts a typical Awadh flavour to this rice preparation.

INGREDIENTS: serves 4

1/2 kg rice
1  kg Lamb/Mutton (Legs, Neck & Chops)
50 gms onions
25 gms ginger

25 gms garlic
1 tsp yellow chilli powder
125 gms yoghurt
50 gms balai (if not available then get the cream)
5 green cardamoms

5 cloves

2 blade mace
10 gms cinnamon

50 gms almond paste
Salt, to taste
 1 tsp vetiver (kewra)

2-3 drops mitha ittr
200 gms clarified butter or ghee
1 tsp saffron

Method:


Wash and clean mutton/Lamb (i prefer lamb). Grind all the spices in the spice-mix together. and keep aside Wash and soak rice for one hour in water. In a deep vessel (Taambe ki Degchi) Fry onion in ghee till golden brown.
Remove onion, remove half the ghee and in the remaining add ginger-garlic paste extract, yellow chilli powder, ground masala, salt, almond paste, yoghurt and mutton.
Saute till mutton turns a golden colour. Add 4 cups of water and cook on a slow fire till mutton is tender. Remove the mutton pieces and strain the stock through a fine sieve. Now on a greased griddle place the mutton pieces. cook on a slow flame and brown til dry, and slightly crisp., on both sides by turning once. remove and keep aside. to the mutton stock add balai strained through the seive, keep aside

 Heat the remaining Ghee , add the drained rice and saute on  medium flame for 7-8 mins till the rice grains are no longer lumpy. This is a very important method as it burns the outside starch layer gelatinizing it. 

now line a degchi (pot) with half the rice and then place a layer lamb pieces on it and top with a remaining rice Layer.

now dissolve the saffron in kewra water and sprinke on the rice also adding mitha ittr. Pour stock on it. Seal the lid with atta dough and out on DUM for 30 mins on slow flame. 
open and serve hot with fried onions. 

If you have any Question please lemme know. Pardon my English !