Meat and fruit Pilaf

From my personal Authentic Recipe Collection

This dish makes a delicious, festive main meal or center meal.  Serve with chutney, kachumber (diced cucumber, tomato and onion salsa) and lentil soup.

This recipe is easy to make, and but can take time to prepare.  

Ingredients    -      Serves  6-9

2 oz.[1/4 cup] butter
2 onions, sliced
1 -inch piece of fresh root ginger peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove,crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon coriander seeds crushed
1 teaspoon  cardmom seeds crushed
1 teaspoon peppercorns crushed
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 lb.boned leg of lamb,cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 oz.[2/3 cup] dried apricots
4 oz.[2/3 cup] sultanas or seedless raisins
2 oz.[1/2 cup] cashew nuts,slit in half
2 oz.[1/2 cup] silvered almonds
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
15 fl.oz.[1 7/8 cups] chicken stock
3 pints [7 1/2 cups] water
12 0z.[2 cups] basmati rice, washed, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
1 1/2 oz. [3 tablespoons] butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 10 minutes
2 oz.[1/2 cup] pistachio nuts

Preparation

• In a medium -sized  saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions,ginger and garlic and fry,stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent but not brown. Add the cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper corns and cinnamon and fry, stirring constantly for 2 minutes
• 
  
Add the lamb cubes and fry, turning the cubes over frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are browned. Add the apricots, sultanas or raisins, cashew nuts, half the almonds, the bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Pour in the chicken stock, cover the pan and simmer the mixture for 35 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Taste the mixture and add more salt if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick Set aside and keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to moderate 350' F (Gas Mark 4, 180 C).
• 
  
In a large saucepan, bring the water to the boil over high heat. Add the remaining; salt and the rice and boil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drain the rice in a strainer.
• 
  
Pour 1 tablespoon of the melted butter into a large ovenproof casserole. Put one third of the rice in the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle the rice with one third of the saffron water. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the meat and fruit mixture to the casserole. Put in another one-third of the rice and saffron water. Add the remaining meat and fruit mixture, reserving the pan juices. Finish with a last layer of rice sprinkled with the remaining saffron water. Pour over all the reserved pan juices. Sprinkle the top with the pistachio nuts, the remaining almonds and the remaining melted butter.
• 
  
Cover the casserole and put it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
• Remove the casserole from the oven and serve the pilaff immediately.

Serve Meat and Fruit Pilaff with lots of yogurt,poppadums and chutney.

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Chicken or Mutton Biryani

1 lbs Goat Meat or Chicken cut into small pieces
2 t Garam Masala
1 t ginger / garlic paste
1 cup smooth plain yogurt
4 Red chilies
1/3 cup cashew nuts
2 cups Basmati Rice
½ t cloves
3" cinnamon
1 black cardamon
1 t whole black pepper
2 jalepeneo
Salt to taste
2 large red onions (sliced fine and fried till crisps)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup yogurt or 2 key limes
4 T Ghee /Oil
Saffron dissolved in 1 cup milk
1 T Ginger julienne's

yogurt and cucumber raita

Cooking the meat

1. Marinate the meat with yogurt, garam masala and ginger/garlic paste and set aside

2. Heat 4 tablespoons ghee and saute the red chili and cashew nuts. Add the mutton or chicken and cook until the fat separates from the meat and the meat is tender. Then add 1 cup water and cook until meat is tender.

Cooking the rice

1. Heat a small heavy bottom pan and add 1 T of ghee and fry the whole spices and jalepeneo. Remove.
2. In another deep pot boil 7 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. When the rice is half cooked usually 7 minutes put off the heat and strain the rice
3. Fold in the rice the whole spices and jalepeneo. Add salt to taste.

Preparing the fresh seasonings

1 Mix together the chopped parsley, mint with the fried onion. Set aside.

Layering the rice

1. Take a deep baking dish with a tight lid (the pottery pots are the best) line it with ghee.
2. Spread a layer of rice and cover it with half of the meat. Sprinkle half of the fresh seasonings and yogurt or juice of one key lime.
3. Cover with rice, followed by a mutton layer, then fresh seasonings. Finish with a rice layer. .Sprinkle the rice with saffron milk and dot with ghee.
4. Cover tightly and place in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Garnish with ginger julienne's. Serve hot

Accompaniment

1. Serve with yogurt salad or raita

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Peas Pulao

From my Simple Rice Recipe Collection

T his dish is made instead of plain rice for variety.  It is used as the anchor dish for Indian curries and vegetables. 

This recipe is easy to make, and quick to prepare.  

2 cups (400 g) basmati rice
2 t (30 g) ghee or butter
2.5 cm cinnamon
1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
1 (80 g) onion, sliced
a handful of cashew nuts
a handful of raisins
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns

Serves: Four

Preparation

• Wash the rice two or three times in fresh water. Then soak for 30 minutes. (optional)
• Bring water equal to 1 ¼ times the volume of rice to the boil in a pot. When boiling add the rice, turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. The rice should be cooked in 8 minutes, when all the liquid should be absorbed. Turn off the heat, remove the rice and spread in a flat dish or pan to cool and dry. Leave for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fry onion until brown. Add cashew nuts and raisins bay leaves and peppercorns and fry for a minute.
• Put the rice on a platter and garnish with the fried seasonings

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