Aaj English TV

Sunday, November 10, 2024  
07 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446  

Recipe of the day: Afghani Pulao

Photo: FILE Photo: FILE

INGREDIENTS

Lamb or Beef 750 Gram, cut in large pieces (lightly salted)
Beef/Lamb broth 1 cup
Basmati rice  3 cups (500 Gram)
Onion  2 large, diced
Saffron  ½ tsp.
Cumin powder  ½ tbsp.
Salt  2 tsp.
Carrots  3, julienned (sliced) thin vertical slices
Black raisins  1 cup
Almonds  ½ cup, blanched
Pistachios  ½ cup, blanched
Cooking oil  ½ cup (250 ml)
Tomato 3 medium size
Water  2½ cups (boiled)

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak rice in water in a bowl and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet or pressure cooker and fry onions until golden brown. Add meat pieces to the fried onion and cook until light brown on both sides. Add saffron and tomatoes and fry the meat until the oil separates and rises to the top. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer covered until meat is tender. Add more water if required.

In a separate pan, sauté carrots, in small quantity of oil, add sugar and fry until softened. Remove from pan and keep aside. Add a little oil to the pan and sauté raisins until they swell up. Remove from pan and set aside. Next fry the almonds and pistachios to a golden brown and set aside.

When meat is cooked, lower the heat and add rice, salt and water/beef broth and cover the pan (pressure cooker) cook until rice absorb water. Once the water dries up to about 3/4 of its original quantity, then cover the pan (pressure cooker) Let the pulao stand for about 15-20 minutes on medium/low heat to brew.

Transfer the rice on serving plate, top with meat in the center surrounded by carrots on all sides, sprinkle with raisins and nuts and serve hot.