Qabuli Uzbeki/Afghani Pulao

Serves: 3- 4
Ingredients:
2 cups- Basmati rice

750 gm. Mutton

1 large- Onion, sliced

1 tsp. Ginger-Garlic paste

1 pinch- Saffron

¼ cup- Milk

20 gm. Raisins

15- Cashew nuts

1 tsp. Garam masala powder

1 cup- Carrots, cut julienne

Salt to taste

4 tbsp. Oil

1 tsp. Peppercorns

Warm Water

Method:

1. Soak the saffron in ¼ cup of warm milk.

2. Wash the rice and soak it in sufficient water with a little salt for about 20 minutes, drain and set aside.

3. In a pressure cooker, heat half of the oil and fry the sliced onions till golden.

4. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry a little, reduce the flame and add peppercorns and garam masala powder. 

5. Add salt to taste and toss in the mutton pieces and 500ml of water or enough to cover the mutton pieces.

6. Cook on full flame till the first whistle goes off. Reduce the flame and cook for a further 10 minutes on a slow flame. Turn off the flame and wait till the whistle turns loose enough to be removed. Open and remove the mutton pieces and keep the stock aside.

7. In a large pan, heat the remaining oil and fry the raisins on slow fire and remove. Fry the cashew nuts in the same oil and remove. And then fry the julienned carrots, remove and keep aside.

8. In the same pan add half the soaked and drained rice. Next, layer the mutton pieces, half of the carrots and cashew nuts. Layer the remaining rice and lastly add half of the raisins. 

9. Add the mutton stock, saffron milk and sufficient warm water to bring the water level to about 1/2 an inch above the rice & meat layers. Check salt to taste.

10. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the flame completely. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and then a lid.

11. Cook for 15minutes and turn off the flame and leave it to cook for another 5 minutes.

12. Garnish with remaining carrot, raisins and cashew nuts before serving.