Beef Pulao with Browned Onions and Whole Spices

Ingredients

• 2½ cups basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs almost clear
• 600 g beef with some bone (shin or neck), cut into medium pieces
• 100 ml cooking oil
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 green chillies, whole and slit
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 6 cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 800 ml water, for cooking the beef
• ¼ cup fresh mint and coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Cover the rinsed rice with plenty of cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the onions, whisk the yogurt and cut the beef.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, both cardamoms, cloves and peppercorns and let them sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the sliced onions with a pinch of the salt. Fry, stirring often, for 12 minutes until deep golden brown. Lift out about a quarter of the onions with a slotted spoon and set aside for topping.
4. Add the beef and ginger-garlic paste. Raise the heat to medium-high and fry for 5 minutes until the meat loses its raw red colour.
5. Lower the heat, add the yogurt, tomato, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and the remaining salt. Cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until the oil separates from the masala.
6. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 35 to 40 minutes after the first whistle, on low heat. If using a regular pot, simmer covered for about 1 hour 45 minutes. The beef is ready when a piece can be pressed apart easily with a spoon.
7. Open the cooker and check the liquid. Measure it: you need 3 cups (about 720 ml) of stock with the masala. Boil to reduce if there is more, or add hot water if there is less. Taste and add salt if needed, as the rice will absorb the seasoning.
8. Drain the soaked rice well and spread it over the beef. Add the green chillies, then bring to a rolling boil over high heat without stirring more than once, gently.
9. When the liquid has dropped to just below the level of the rice and small steam holes appear on the surface, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes to dum. The grains should be long, separate and tender with no hard centre.
11. Fluff gently from the bottom with a fork so the beef and rice mix. Top with the reserved browned onions, mint and coriander, and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

• Use beef with some bone or connective tissue such as shin. It gives a richer stock and stays tender, while lean steak turns dry.
• Measure the stock before adding rice. Too much liquid makes the pulao sticky; for soaked basmati aim for about 1.25 times the rice volume.
• Do not stir the rice once it is boiling. Stirring breaks the grains and makes them mushy.
• Wrapping the pot lid in a clean kitchen towel during the dum stops steam dripping back onto the rice.