Yakhni Pulao

Ingredients

• 800g bone-in mutton or lamb shoulder, cut into pieces
• 500g basmati rice
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, quartered, for the stock
• 6 tbsp ghee
• 200g plain yoghurt, whisked
• 1.5 litres water
• 2 tsp salt for the stock
• 1 tsp salt for the rice
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 8 black peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 5cm ginger, sliced
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (black cumin)
• 1 tsp dried mint, crushed
• Pinch of saffron soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk

Before you cook

• Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear, then soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.
• Tie the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cloves, both cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves, sliced ginger, garlic and quartered onion into a square of muslin.
• Whisk the yoghurt smooth.
• Soak the saffron in warm milk.

Steps

1. Put the meat, the muslin spice bag, 2 tsp salt and 1.5 litres water into a large pot.
2. Bring it to a boil, skim off the grey foam, then cover and simmer for 60 minutes until the meat is tender.
3. Lift out the meat and set it aside.
4. Squeeze the muslin bag hard against the side of the pot to extract every drop of flavour, then discard it.
5. Strain the stock and measure out 900ml, topping up with water if you are short.
6. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and fry the sliced onions for 12 minutes until deep brown and crisp.
7. Lift out half the fried onions onto kitchen paper to use as garnish.
8. Add the cooked meat to the remaining onions and fry for 4 minutes until the edges catch colour.
9. Turn the heat low and stir in the whisked yoghurt, stirring for 3 minutes until it thickens around the meat.
10. Add the shahi jeera and crushed dried mint and stir once.
11. Pour in the 900ml measured stock and add 1 tsp salt, then bring it to a hard boil.
12. Drain the soaked rice and tip it in, spreading it level.
13. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes until the liquid drops to just below the surface of the rice.
14. Drizzle over the saffron milk, cover the pot with a tight lid, and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.
15. Turn off the heat and leave the pot sealed and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
16. Fluff the pulao gently with a fork from the edges inward, scatter the reserved fried onions over, and serve with a bowl of yoghurt.