Fragrant Meat Pullao and Mixed Vegetable Curry

Do you like Indian food? I'm quite adventurous with all types of cuisine..of course, the cooked and edible ones.  Not the bizarre and exotic type like Andrew Zimmern's 'Bizarre Food'.  For me, the spicier the better.  My Indian Cookbook comes in handy whenever I run out of ideas on what to cook.  My son always give me a big smile when I cook something hot and spicy. But for this vegetable curry, it's quite mild which is fine.  It's tasty with lots of flavor.

Meat Pullao is basically long grain rice boiled in the meat stock together with the spices and meat.  The recipe actually calls for lamb but since I also have some chicken in my freezer, I add them to the lamb.
The rice is richly flavored with the meat stock.
All you need is...

1 medium onion, sliced
20 cardamon pods
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 in long ginger, crushed
1 piece cinnamon stick
175g cup sultanas and blanced almonds to garnish (optional)
3 cups basmati rice (long grain rice), wash and drain
600ml water
salt to taste

400g lamb meat, cut into big cubes
1/2 chicken cut into big bite sizes
8-10 saffron strands

  

Here's how...
1. In a large stock pot, cook the chicken & lamb in the water with the cardamon pods, peppercorn, cloves, onion and salt until the meat is cooked. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Strain the stock if you wish, return to the pot.
2. Add the rice, saffron, garlic, ginger and cinnamon to the stock and bring the contents to the boil.
3. Quickly add the meat and stir well. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and cover. Cook covered for about 15-20 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins. Garnish with sultanas and almonds.

Alternatively, at step #2, once you've put in the rice to the stock, transfer to rice cooker and cook as normal.  You need to adjust the stock accordingly to your rice.  Do not put in too much stock as the rice will become a bit too soft like mine.  I should reduce the stock next time I cook this.  Texture should be fluffly and rice separates and not come together.  Although mine is a little too soft, the flavor is still amazing.

I serve this with my version of mixed vegetable curry.  I'll not provide the recipe.  There are so many versions to vegetable curry which you can easily find anywhere.  As for me, I like my curry with a little milk or yogurt.  You can even conjure up your own version.