Yahani Pulao

Ingredients


- 1 kg. lamb meat on the bone, cut into pieces
- 12 cups water
- 2 garlic bulbs
- 3 inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
- 4-5 small onions, peeled and sliced
- 8 cloves
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- 4-5  large cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup aniseed (saunf) & 1\2 cup coriander seeds
- 4 cups Pakistani basmati rice
   For Masala:
- 1 cup ghee or oil
- 4 medium onions
- 6-8 green cardamoms
- 1 tsp. black peppercorn
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 large cardamoms
- 6 cloves
- 1 tbsp. ginger paste

Method

Trim most of the fat from the meat. Wash thoroughly with cold water. Put water in a large heavy based saucepan and bring to boil. Add meat, garlic, ginger, onions, cloves, black peppercorn, cinnamon, large cardamoms, bay leaves, salt and spice bag. Reduce the heat, cover and allow to boil gently for 40 to 45 minutes until the meat is tender.Meanwhile, put the rice in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under running cold tap. Soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and let it stand for a minute or two.Strain the meat and reserve the stock. Discard the spices bag, spices, onion and ginger from meat. Peel the garlic cloves to remove the garlic pulp and add this to meat.To prepare masala heat ghee or oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and fry to a golden color, stirring constantly. Reserve 3 tablespoons fried onions and to the rest add green cardamoms, black peppercorn
cinnamon, black cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves. Fry for a minute, add meat and  ginger.
Stirring frequently, fry this over medium heat for 3 minutes then add yogurt and fry until meat turns to golden color and water from yogurt has evaporated, about 5 minutes.Add rice to the meat and add just enough reserved stock to cover the rice by 1 inch. (Alternatively measure the stock, it should be 3 3/4 cups. Add water to make it to required quantity.) Cook rice over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until rice are 3\4 cooked. Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to very low and allow to cook for another 15-20 minutes until rice is tender.Fluff up the rice with a fork, then transfer it into to a heated serving dish.
Serve with Raita.

Mutton Biryani

Ingredients

 -2 cups basmati rice
-1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
-2 tablespoons boiling water, for saffron
-1/4 cup butter
-2 onions, chopped
-1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
-1 teaspoon cumin, ground
-1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
-1 teaspoon cardamom seed, crushed
-1 teaspoon peppercorns, coarsely ground
-1 stick cinnamon
-1 pound lamb, cut in 1" cubes
-4 ounces dried apricot halves, cut crosswise
-4 ounces raisins
-2 ounces cashews, slit in half
-2 ounces slivered almonds
-2 bay leaves
-3 teaspoons salt
-2 cups chicken stock
-3 tablespoons butter, melted
-2 ounces pistachio nuts

Method

Rinse rice well, soak it in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Place saffron threads into two tablespoons of boiling water and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent but not brown. Add cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick. Sauté, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.Dry lamb cubes with paper towels and add to the spice mixture, taking care not to splatter. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until they are seared and brown.Add apricots, raisins, cashews, half the almonds, bay leaves, and 1 tsp. salt. Pour into chicken stock, cover pan, and simmer until lamb is tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary. Remove pan from heat. Remove and discard
cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Set aside and keep warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring 3 pints of water to boil over high heat. Add remaining salt and rice, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and drain rice in a colander.
Pour 1 tablespoon of melted butter into a large, ovenproof casserole dish. Put one-third of the rice in the bottom. Sprinkle with one-third of the saffron water. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the meat and fruit mixture to the casserole dish. Add another third of the rice and saffron water. Add the remaining meat and fruit mixture, reserving the pan juices. Finish with a last layer of the rice sprinkled with the remaining saffron water. Pour the reserved pan juices over all. Sprinkle with pistachios,remaining almonds, and remaining melted butter.Cover casserole dish and bake until the rice has absorbed all the liquid--approximately one half hour. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Moti Biryani

Ingredients

- 500 g. lamb or beef mince
- 500 g. basmati rice
- 1 tsp. Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbs. garlic paste
- 1 tsp. ginger paste
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- oil for frying
- 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
- 3 carrot, cut into small dice
- 1\2 cup canned corns
  Ingredients for stock:
- 2 cups water
- 8-10 green -cardamoms
- 4 black cardamoms (bari Iliachi)
- 10 cloves
- 10 pieces of black pepper
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. Cumin (zeera)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1\4 tsp. mace ( javetri)
- pinch of jaifel
- 1 medium onion, thinly slice
- 4 pieces green chillies
- 2 tbs. Coriander leaves

Method

Put the mince in a bowl and add ginger and garlic paste, onion chilli powder, salt, garam masala, coriander powder. Knead really well so that the mixture becomes firm and hold its shape.Break off small pieces of mince mixture at a time and shape each into a smooth ball. Make about 25 balls.Heat the oil in a deep fryer or karhai. Add a few mince balls at a time and fry to a light brown color. Drain and keep aside.Heat 3 table spoon of oil in a frying pan or karhai. Fry  the vegetables for 3-4 minutes until they are soft but still crisp and Place the vegetables in a bowl and keep aside.Prepare the stock, place the water and spices in a small pan. Brig to boil, reduce the heat and allow to boil for about 15 minutes until about one cup of stock is left. Strain, discard the spices and reserve the stock.
Soak the rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil the rice with 2-3 tsp. of salt and plenty of water . when the rice are 3\4 cooked drain the water. Add 4 table spoon oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice to stick each other. Keep rice to one side.Meanwhile, heat the oil or ghee in a heavy based sauce pan and fry the onions for 5-6 minutes until they are soft and transparent. Remove from oil, keep aside and reserve 1\4 cup of oil.In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of meat balls, vegetables and fried onions, repeating this until the meat balls, vegetables and rice have been used up. sprinkle the coriander and green chillies over the top layer of the rice. Pour 1 cup prepared stock and 1\4 cup of oil from the fried onions over the rice. Do not stir.Cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.Once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. Remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.serve with Aalloo Gosht and Raita.        

Masala Biryani

Ingredients

-1 kg Mutton/chicken
-750 g. Basmati rice
-500 g. Potato
-500 g. tomatoes (cut)
-250 gr. Yogurt
-1 tsp. Red chili powder
-Salt to taste
-2 Onions (thin slices)
-3tbs. Garlic (2tsp. Ginger (crushed)
-8-10 green -cardamoms
-4 black cardamoms (bari Iliachi)
-10 cloves
-10 pieces of black pepper
-1 inch cinnamon stick
-1 tsp. Cumin (zeera)
-2 bay leaves
-8-10 dried plumb (allo bahara)
-Oil or ghee
-6 pieces green chilies
-2 tbs. Coriander leaves
-2 tbs. Mint leaves
-few drops kewra
-2-3of Yellow food color

Method

Marinate the meat with garlic, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala for half an hour.Meanwhile, heat the oil or ghee in a heavy based sauce pan and fry the onions for 5-10 minutes to a golden brown. Remove the onions from the oil and stir into the yogurt. Rub this yogurt all over the marinated chicken cover and put in a cool place for at least an hour.Reheat the oil, add the meat along with the marinade and all of the whole spices, and stirring frequently, fry the meat 5-10 minutes. Add 1\2 cup water, cover and allow to cook over low heat. When the meat is half cooked add potatoes and keep cooking over low heat. While the rice is being prepared.Soak the rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil the rice with 2-3 tsp. of salt and plenty of water .when the rice are 3\4 cooked drain the water. Add 1\4 cup oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice to stick each other. Keep rice to one side.
In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of meat, tomatoes, and dried plums on top, repeating this until the meat and rice have been used up. sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice Pour 1\2 cup water and kewra over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food color with a little water and sprinkle over the rice.over with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the rice and meat are tender.once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. then remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork.serve with Raita.        

Masalay dar Chicken Biryani

Ingredients

-1 kg Mutton/chicken
-750 g. Basmati rice
-500 g. Potato
-500 g. tomatoes (cut)
-250 gr. Yogurt
-1 tsp. Red chili powder
-Salt to taste
-2 Onions (thin slices)
-3tbs. Garlic (crushed -2tsp. Ginger (crushed)
-8-10 green -cardamoms
-4 black cardamoms (bari Iliachi)
-10 cloves
-10 pieces of black pepper
-1 inch cinnamon stick
-1 tsp. Cumin (zeera)
-2 bay leaves
-8-10 dried plumb (allo bahara)
-Oil or ghee
-6 pieces green chilies
-2 tbs. Coriander leaves
-2 tbs. Mint leaves
-few drops kewra
-2-3of Yellow food colo

Method

Marinate the meat with garlic, ginger, salt, chili powder, garam masala for half an hour.Meanwhile, heat the oil or ghee in a heavy based sauce pan and fry the onions for 5-10 minutes to a golden brown. Remove the onions from the oil and stir into the yogurt. Rub this yogurt all over the marinated chicken cover and put in a cool place for at least an hour.Reheat the oil, add the meat along with the marinade and all of the whole spices, and stirring frequently, fry the meat 5-10 minutes. Add 1\2 cup water, cover and allow to cook over low heat. When the meat is half cooked add potatoes and keep cooking over low heat. While the rice is being prepared.Soak the rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil the rice with 2-3 tsp. of salt and plenty of water .when the rice are 3\4 cooked drain the water. Add 1\4 cup oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice to stick each other. Keep rice to one side.In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of meat, tomatoes, and dried plums on top, repeating this until the meat and rice have been used up. sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice Pour 1\2 cup water and kewra over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food color with a little water and sprinkle over the rice.over with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the rice and meat are tender.once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes. then remove the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork.serve with Raita.        

Coconut Rice

Ingredients

- Half a coconut,grated
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 4 cloves
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 4 cardamoms
- Salt,to taste
- 3-5 tbsp ghee
- A pinch of turmeric diluted in 1 tbsp of coconut milk

Method

Grind the grated coconut and a little hot water and squeeze through a muslin clothes to extract milk.Repeat the process two more times until you have 2 cups of coconut milk Keep it aside.In a deep pressure cooker, fry the whole spices and rice in ghee until the rice begins to stick to the pan.Add water and coconut milk and stir well. Add salt to taste and the diluted turmeric. Cook under pressure for 5 minutes.
Note:Serve hot garnished with deep-fried onion slices.

Green Pulao

Ingredients


-1 cup Basmati rice
-1 medium onion, chopped
-12oz package frozen peas
-4 cloves
-1 small stick cinnamon
-1 clove garlic(minced): optional
-2 to 3 bay leaves
-2 tbsp oil (more if you like)

Method

This is an easy way to make rice more exciting. Typically, Basmati rice would be the best, the aroma is unbeatable, but use whatever white rice is available.Heat oil in a deep pan and fry onions till slightly brown. Add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and garlic and stir. Add rice and stir for 2 to 3 mins. The rice should be coated with the oil. Add 2 cups water and allow thw pot to come to a boil.Add peas.Stir, lower heat and simmer covered until the rice is cooked. Let it stand uncovered until extra water evaporates. Serve with Raita.