Pulao

1/2 kilo meat
2 to 3 tbls of dark brown fried, blended onion* - depending on how dark you like your rice
3 mugs rice, soaked for at least an hour
salt to taste
spice plate with:
5 cloves, 1 tsp black pepper corns, 1 large piece cinnamon broken
6 to 7 cloves of garlic, 1 large piece ginger
3 to 4 tbls coriander seeds, 1 tbls cumin seeds
3 tbls ghee

Do this:

1- place all dry spices on a muslin cloth. Tie it up.


2- place this bundle, plus meat in a large pot.

3- using the same mug u used to measure rice, add 10 mugs of water.

4- add the onion blend and salt, mix in, cover and let it cook


5- the meat should take 25 to 3o minutes to be tender.
6- check in between, as soon as the meat is tender, remove the spice bundle, add the drained rice and mix well. I didnt measure the remaining yakhni/liquid. It looked about right so I put the rice in. If you feel it is too much, remove some with a ladle/cup until u have the yakhni only half an inch above the rice. Half inch as in one finger tip.. 'aik poora'. That is the measurement my Mother taught me and I use it still.


7- cover the pot and let it cook on high flame
8- around 7 to 10 minutes later, the water will have evaporated. Place a cloth over the pot and cover tightly. Turn the heat to lowest.

9- just before you serve, add the dollop of ghee. Close the lid and shake the pot a few times. The ghee will melt and mix in.

10- serve hot with plain yoghurt or any other side dishes of your choice, like potato cutlets or yoghurt boondi.

 

* Just a note about the onions: I fry them a really really dark brown - the colour u would say is  burnt. Then blend them in the blender with the same oil they were fried in and more if needed. No water at all. Keep this well covered in the fridge. Do make sure the oil coverers the paste. You can use this in every dish that needs colour. I use it for pulaos to save time on frying onions for the colour. There is no burnt smell or burnt taste.