Mutton Pulao

Ingredients

• 1kg shoulder or neck cut lamb (with bone), cut into 2 inch pieces
• 500gms basmati rice
• 250gms yoghurt, whisked
• 1tbspn red chilli powder
• 6tbspn fresh ginger garlic paste (1:4 ginger to garlic)
• 1/2cup pre-fried onions
• 2tspns Salt
• 3 medium potatoes, quartered and soaked in salted water for 30mins
• 12tbspn sunflower oil + extra to fry potatoes

For Tadka

• 3 bay leaves
• 3 black cardamom
• 10 black peppercorns

Spice bag (secured in muslin cloth)

• 4 bay leaves
• 10 black peppercorns
• 5 green cardamom
• 5 black cardamom
• 1tbspn coriander seeds
• 1tspn cumin seeds
• 1tspn khus khus (poppy seeds)
• 5 cloves
• 2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 1tbspn fennel seeds

Method

1. In a pot, boil lamb with 2.5cups water, 1tspn salt, all of ginger garlic paste and spice bag till lamb is cooked, around 1.5 – 2hrs. Retain the water/stock.
2. In another pot, heat some oil and fry the soaked potatoes till they turn crispy on the outside (the potatoes won’t be cooked through at this stage). Set aside.
3. When meat is cooked through, heat 12tbspns oil in another pot and add Tadka ingredients. Remove spice bag from the meat and squeeze the juice from the bag in the pot with tadka.
4. Mix red chilli powder with whisked yoghurt and add to tadka. Cook for 5mins and add cooked lamb to this mix (without water)
5. Add potatoes and rice to lamb. Cook till you can see oil coming out.
6. Add remaining salt. Add 4 cups of lamb stock (add additional hot water if needed) and bring to a boil.
7. Simmer rice for 10-15mins till stock has almost evaporated. Scatter pre-fried onions and mix very gently.
8. Cover pot with foil and then put the lid on. Cook for another 10-15mins or till the rice is cooked.
9. Turn off heat, remove foil, keep the pot partly covered with the lid and let stand for 10mins.
10. Serve with a mixed salad or raita.