Yakhni pulao
Rice cooked in its own spiced stock until every grain carries the flavour. Steam 1121 gives the long, white, separate grain this dish is judged on.
Made withHima SteamSteamed, never parboiled. Grain stays separate.
Ingredients
- 500 g Hima Steam rice
- 750 g mutton or chicken on the bone
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ cup yoghurt
- Potli: 2 tbsp fennel, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 black cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 small garlic bulb, 1 inch ginger, tied in muslin
- Whole spices: 1 tsp zeera, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom
- ½ cup oil or ghee
- Salt to taste
Method
- Rinse the rice and soak for 60–75 minutes.
- Simmer the meat with the potli, salt and 6 cups of water until tender (about 1 hour for mutton, 30 minutes for chicken). Remove the potli and measure 4 cups of stock; top up with water if needed.
- Fry the onions golden in the oil. Add the whole spices, ginger-garlic paste and the meat, and fry 5 minutes. Stir in the yoghurt and cook until the oil separates.
- Pour in the measured hot stock and bring to the boil. Taste: it should be a little saltier than soup.
- Add the drained rice and cook on high heat until the water drops below the surface of the rice and small holes appear.
- Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12–15 minutes. Fluff gently with a flat spoon and serve with raita.
Timings are written for Hima Steam. With another rice, adjust the soak and boil to the grain: see the cooking guide.
