MUTTON PULAOO.....Indian Masala

Mutton (goat / lamb) pulaoo or pilaf is a combined dish of rice cooked in meat. Though all meats consumed by humans can be used for this dish, but the original combination is of goat or lamb (chicken, too) meat. It is thought, the original was concocted by Sheppard who, for the ease of making a complete meal combined the meat, rice and a few essential spices with salt, invented this dish. There are a few other versions, but then, we are interested in the meal and not the history of it.

Over the years, this combination has undergone a sea of change. Also, the ingredients vary from region to region and country. In the Indian context, I would like to believe that the Moguls’ brought the version amongst its vast repertoire of exotic culinary items.

The version I have listed below is as gleaned down the years from my dear Mothers’ cooking.
She made this best by using homemade pure ghee (clarified butter). You may, if you so desire, use the cooking medium you regularly use for your cooking. Also, the selection of cuts will add to the end product. I would suggest, use portions of ‘Puth’ (small of the back), Chops and a portion of ‘Seena’ (chest).

For TWO servings you will require:

Mutton, cut & clean-400 gms
Rice, long grain-02 cups
Cooking Oil-90 ml
Onion, sliced-01 cup
Paste of Ginger & Garlic-02 tps
Fresh green Chili, diced fine-02
2” Cinnamon stick
Green cardamom crushed-04 pcs
Cloves-04 pcs
Black pepper corn-08 to10
Jeera-02 tps
Javitri-03 to05 petals
Black Cardamom-02 pcs
Beaten Curd-1/2 cup
Meat Masala- 01 ½ tps
Garam Masala-01 tps
Turmeric powder-01 tps
Red Chili powder-01 ½ tps
Coriander powder-02 tps
Salt as per taste
Water

Step One

MARINATE

Marinate the mutton in the mix of the following:-

Curd, Turmeric, Red chili powder & ¼ Meat Masala . 1/2 garam Masala, ½ Ginger Garlic paste and a little salt. Keep aside for about an hour.




Step Two

Wash the rice and keep it drowned for 15 minutes.

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, pour in 06 Tps of oil and heat on medium flame put in Cloves, Jeera, green and black Cardamom, black pepper corn, cinnamon stick and fry till light brown. Add ½ cup onion and fry till onion brown.
2. Put in the Ginger & Garlic paste along with fresh green chili. Fry till all acquire golden brown hue. Put in a little salt.
3. Add the marinated mutton, but retain the remaining marinate. Stir fry the whole ensemble till the meat starts to brown.
4. Except for ¼ meat Masala, sprinkle in the remaining dry powder Masala, left over marinate and stir fry pouring in spoons of water to prevent the mutton from burning and sticking to the bottom of the vessel.
5. When the oil begins to float, pour in enough water to just drown the meat.
6. Pressure cook for only 08 minutes after the initial whistle. Switch off the flame and let the cooker to cool without opening the lid.
7. Open the cooking vessel; remove the mutton on a plate without the gravy. Keep aside.

Step Three

BOIL RICE.

1. In the vessel for cooking the rice, pour in the remaining oil. On heating put in the Javitri petals.
2. Put in the washed rice, adjust salt. Stir to cover each grain of rice with the heated oil.
3. Add water, if required, to the gravy from above to get the correct volume of liquid to cook the rice. Pour, stir & cover to cook the rice.

Step Four

BRING TOGETHER MUTTON & RICE

1. Remove half of the cooked rice, and keep aside.
2. Add all of the mutton to the rice in the vessel and spread. Sprinkle the remaing meat Masala and the onion slices.
3. Cover with the rice removed previously. Cover the vessel and heat on slow flame for 05 minutes.
4. Switch off the flame and let the covered vessel stand for 05 minutes.
5. Stir the complete pulaoo evenly and serve with fresh green salad.