Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• ½ kg mutton
• 600-750g basmati rice
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 4 large onions
• 250g yogurt
• Salt, to taste

Masala

• 1 tsp cumin (zeera)
• 2 bay leaves (tez patta)
• 4 small cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 black peppercorns (kali mirch)
• 4 cloves (laung)
• ½ cup (or more) oil or ghee
• Pinch of orange food colouring

Potli

• Muslin cloth
• 4 tbsp whole coriander 4 tbsp (dhania)
• 4 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (zeera)
• 2 bay leaves (tez patta)
• 1 pod garlic (lehsun)
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 1 large onions

Directions

Wash the rice well and soak at least 40 minutes before cooking. Wash the meat and put into a 5 liter pressure cooker.

Now make the potli. Thoroughly wash a 12 x12 inch muslin cloth piece. Put into it the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds. Remove the top and bottom joints of the garlic pod, peel the onion and chop into 8-10 pieces, peel and chop the ginger and add to potli. Tie up the potli loosely and put into the cooker.

Add enough salt for the meat and pour in water so that the meat and potli are covered. Pressure cook for 15 minutes and keep aside.

Now use a pot with a heavy base big enough for two kgs of pulao. Put in the ghee/oil. Peel and slice the onions. Fry till golden brown. Remove half and keep aside. Add three tbsp of water and when it stops spluttering put in the cumin. When it crackles put in the rest of the spices.

Remove all the meat pieces from the pressure cooker and sauté with the onions and whole spices. Add the garlic and ginger paste and 1½ tsp of salt or as per taste. Add the yogurt and continue to sauté till the ghee surfaces.

Squeeze the potli well and discard. Now pour the stock into the pot and allow to come to a boil. Strain the rice and put into the pot. The trick is in knowing whether the stock is enough to cook the rice or does more water have to be added. Do not close the lid and keep a close watch.

Important suggestion: Keep boiling water ready and in case you feel the rice is too undone sprinkle some over the rice. When nearly done lower flame to simmer and place a tawa under the pot. This prevents the rice from burning.

Dissolve the orange color in a tsp of warm water. Drop it over the rice in three spots. Cover with a lid and keep some heavy weight on top of the lid so that the rice steams well. This will take about 15 minutes. Garnish the pulao platter with the browned onions that had been kept aside.