Serves 6-8
Ingredients
• 750 gm.-1 kg. basmati rice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 litre water for rice
• a small sprig of mint leaves
• For yakhni:
• 1 kg. lamb or mutton leg/shoulder cut into bite size pieces, washed and drained (do not use poor quality meat for this dish)
• 4-5 tbs. oil or ghee
• 6 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1 inch piece ginger, chopped or grated finely
• 4 large cardamoms*,
• 6 green cardamoms*
• 2 inch piece of cinnamon*
• 4 bay leaves*
• 8-10 black pepper corns*
• 6-8 cloves*
• 2-3 green chillies- slit length wise. (adjust amount to your taste)
• 2- 2 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. chilli powder (adjust amount to your taste)
• 1/2 cup thick yoghurt
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 small bunch of mint leaves, chopped
• 1 lime or 1/2 lemon, cut into small pieces
• A few strands of saffron soaked in a tablespoon of warm water
• 1 tbs. Ghee or clarified butter
• Orange or jalebi food colour
Instructions
1. Peel, wash slice onions thinly.
2. Peel, wash and grate ginger and garlic finely.
3. Measure all whole spices*. Crack brown and green cardamoms a little, by hitting them with a rolling pin. Keep all whole spices together, aside.
4. Measure/prepare all other ingredients as listed.
5. Heat oil/ghee in a large pan and fry onions, until quite dark brown. Take out & keep aside.
6. In the same oil (if there is too little left, add another tablespoon. or two), add all whole spices (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, black peppers, bay leaves), ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute or two.
7. Add meat pieces, salt, chilli powder. Stir fry until meat is nicely browned on all sides.
8. Add yoghurt, tomatoes, coriander and mint leaves (save a few leaves for boiling rice) , sliced green chillies, pieces of lime and 2/3rd of fried onions, keeping 1/3rd onions aside for garnishing later. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is nearly done and only a little gravy is left. This may take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the cut and quality of meat.
9. While meat is cooking, boil the water for rice, with a mint & coriander leaves and salt.
10. Add rice and boil briskly, with lid off, until 2/3rd done (2 grains felt, when rice is pressed and squashed between two fingers).
11. Drain the water off by transferring the rice to a colander/large sieve. You can run a little cold water over it, to stop the rice from cooking further while resting. Leave in the colander for a few minute, for the water to drain out completely.
12. Grease a large oven proof dish or a pan and spread 1/3rd of the rice in a layer at the base of the pan. Sprinkle 1/3 rd of the saffron on rice.
13. Now layer with 1/2 of the meat.
14. Next, cover with the second 1/3 rd of the rice. Sprinkle 1/2 rd of saffron on top of rice.
15. Now spread the remaining 1/2 of the meat on top of rice.
16. Finish with the remaining 1/3 rd of the rice layer on top.
17. Sprinkle the remaining saffron.
18. Sprinkle fried onions on top. (You can spread some of the fried onions on each layer of rice, if you wish).
19. Dot with a little ghee and a few drop of liquid jalebi (orange) colour . If dry colour powder is used, dissolve it in a teaspoon of water. This gives you a few dark orange coloured rice grains interspersed in the rest of the rice. It looks very nice when served.
20. Cover the pan with a tight lid.
21. Put it in a medium hot oven, 170º-180° C, on the centre shelf, for 20 minutes or so, until the rice is fully done. It can be cooked directly on the hob, on a low flame, with the lid tightly closed. This will take 20-30 minutes.
22. Serve hot.
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Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:35 am
