Lamb BIRYANI/YAKHNI

PULAO...Mingling with 'One

Dish Dinners'
Decided to make a biryani/yakni pulao for lunch
last weekend. Have been procrastinating making
it for long as it is just a bit involved. Then I
thought, might as well, & went off to dust the
cob-webs off my biryani utensil which hadn't
seen light of day for a while. Life seems to be all
about eating & drinking...so I got on with tying
my bouquet garni!! In a strange quirk of fate,
after eating the Mughlai dish for lunch, we
unexpectedly got invited to see a special
screening of the film 'Jodhaa Akbar' that night.
The film was a tad disappointing for a period film. It's based on a 16th century love story about a marriage
of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess.
The high point of the film was beautiful glimpses of extensive shooting done within the palaces of
Rajasthan. Absolutely stunning...unbelieveable that such interiors could have been made by man, & that
too centuries ago!
Back to the foodie issue then...The recipe is one my mother has
been making for years, & the kids love it because the stock
flavours the rice beautifully. I made a small change to it by using
half milk/half water to make the stock. Had read about that in a
Hyderabadi coffee table book by Pratibha Karan. And yes, I also
added some star anise since the flavour is nice & subtle. This
preparation is a cross between a biryani & pulao; more a pulao
because the rice is cooked in stock, & a bit like biryani because
I slow-cooked it on dum!
Historically, Biryani and Pulao were 'rice and meat' dish.
In Pulao, the 'meat and rice are stirred' before cooking. For
Biryani, meat and rice are layered during cooking. Pulao is of
Persian origin. Pilaf is another common name used in India.
Mutton was cooked in water with aromatic spices. Once the
meat was cooked, rice and more water were added to finish
cooking. The broth with yogurt was called Yakhni.
Biryani in Farsi means 'fry before cooking'. To make Biryani,
mutton is fried in ghee and par-cooked (Cooked half way).
Separately, the rice is fried in ghee, and par-cooked (cooked
half way). The rice and meat were layered (cluster of rice on top
of cluster of meat) in a cookware called handi. The handi is sealed with dough. It is dum cooked (baked)
on low heat.
Ingredients:
Lamb – 750gms (ribs & shoulder cuts)
Rice – ½ kg (2 steel glasses)/ soaked for 30 minutes
Onions – 4 (3 whole; 1 sliced)
Garlic – 1 whole bulb
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Ginger grated – 1 tbsp
Whole Coriander seeds – 3 tbsps
Whole Fennel – 3 tbsps
Star Anise -2-3 (optional)
Star Anise powder -1 tsp (optional)
Green Cardamom -3
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 1/2 glasses
Bay leaves – 2
Cinnamon sticks – 2 pieces
Saffron – 1 pinch soaked in a few tbsps
warm milk
Cashewnuts for garnishing

Method:

Make a bouquet garni with 3 onions

(whole) + whole coriander seeds +
whole fennel + star anise + garlic bulb +
grated ginger. Tie firmly.
Put the lamb in the cooker with the bouquet garni + 1 1/2 glasses of water + 1 1/2 glasses of milk + 1 tsp
of salt.
Cook under medium pressure for 15 minutes. Open only once cool. (Adjust cooking time according to
your need; the lamb shouldn’t get overdone, otherwise it will fall into pieces while roasting later!
CAREFUL!).
Once cool, pour through a soup strainer & collect stock (yakhni) in a bowl; pick out the lamb pieces &
reserve in another bowl. Squeeze out the bouquet garni through the strainer. Dispose off the bouquet
garni .
Now measure the stock/yakhni (if rice 2 glasses then stock should be 3 ½ glasses); make up the shortfall
with water if required.
Heat ½ cup oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add sliced onion & fry till light brown.
Remove & keep for garnishing. Repeat with cashews.
Add the green cardamom & fry till light brown.
Add the lamb pieces, yogurt & garlic paste. Roast gently.
Now add the stock + bay leaves + cinnamon sticks + salt for rice & bring to a rolling boil.
Add the rice & let it get 2-3 rolling boils, then cover & simmer for 10-15 minutes till the rice is almost
done.
Open & sprinkle the saffron & milk mixture evenly over the top.
Cover with a snug lid sealed with some dough & leave to cook on dum on a girdle/tava on low heat for
about 15-20minutes. ( or in the oven at 150 degrees C for 30 minutes).
Don’t open immediately; let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with fried onions & cashews.
Serve with a Garlic raita. (Whip a bowl of yogurt with 1 level tsp garlic paste; add salt & red chili flakes;
mix well;chill)
Notes: Always reheat biryani with a little sprinkle of milk.