Kashmiri Pulav

Noor Mahi was the name of my ancestor who migrated from Kashmir to Punjab 100 some years ago and this is how I end up being a Kashmiri in Punjab even though I do not look like one but that's okay because fair and lovely is available for men these days.

Pulao or Pulav this is a mystery to me but according to Zenub appa its Kashmiri Pulav. Yes people, its Sunday and I have decided to make this juggernaut of all the pulaos which is filled with pistachio and cashew nuts along with raisins cooked in lamb meat, milk, yogurt and a collection of Kashmiri spices.

Yes people just like every other Kashmiri dish this has a lot of calories but who cares? Actually we all should.

One more thing I want to say to every man who reads this blog. If your mother/wife/sister/daughter cooks for you every day you should just kiss her hands and say thank you because trust me in this weather it is very hard. Bless all the dutiful and the beautiful females.

Ingredients:

500 grams rice soaked in water

500 grams mutton or lamb

1 or half chopped onion

1 cup yogurt

half cup milk

2 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste

1 pinch of food color

1 pinch of kalonji seeds

1 teaspoon of black cumin seeds

3-4 cinnamon sticks

4-5 cloves

3 table spoon fennel seed powder/saunf powder

3 table spoon coriander powder

100 grams of raisins

150 grams of cashew nuts

Seeds of half of a pomegranate (optional)

1/2 cup oil

Salt according to taste

Soak the rice and set them aside.

Now put 1/2 cup oil in a pan and fry the onion till brown. 

Add the ginger garlic paste, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cumin and kalonji seeds.

Now add the meat and fry till the meat changes its color. Add fennel seed powder, coriander powder, salt, raisins, pistachio and cashew nuts.

Cover the lid and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Chef Note - While frying the mutton or lamb meat takes around 30-45 minutes to get tender. I suggest you putt all of this in a pressure cooker with 4 glasses of water and cook it for 20 minutes and the meat will be perfectly tender.

Now in a bowl add yogurt, milk and a pinch of yellow food color. Whisk it and add it in the pan. Cook it till it becomes a creamy gravy.

Add half jug of water, bring it to a boil and add rice. Cook it till the rice are 3/4th cooked. Cover the lid and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Kashmiri Pulav is ready.

I topped it with more raisins, pistachios, cashew nuts, pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves and caramelized onions. One of the most difficult things I have made so far specially in this darn weather.

Please join your hands and legs together for Kashmiri Pulav.

Gushtaba

My ancestors come from a land far away known as Kashmir which obviously makes me a Kashmiri.

The weather of Kashmir is cold and usually the places where the weather is cold the food is heavier in terms of calories so the human body can cope with the extreme climate.

Kashmiri cuisines are mild in taste but rich in flavor with exotic ingredients.

One of the most tasteful Kashmiri recipes which I've tasted many time but made for the first time myself is Gushtaba.

Gushtaba is made of milk, yogurt, khoya meatball of chicken/mutton/beef and desi ghee.

YES it sounds like 6 million calories but its completely worth it.


Ingredients:

1 kilogram finely mice mutton (850 gram meat + 150 gram fat)

1 cup yogurt

1 cup khoya

half liter milk

4-6 dried red kashmiri mirch

4 tablespoon desi ghee

2 table spoon saunf powder (1 for the mince mutton and other for the gravy)

2 teaspoon black pepper (1 for the mince mutton and other for the gravy)

2 teaspoon salt (1 for the mince mutton and other for the gravy)

2 teaspoon garam masala (1 for the mince mutton and other for the gravy)

2 tablespoon of finely chopped mint leaves.

2 cups of mutton broth (chicken broth can also be used)

Put 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 tablespoon saunf powder in mince meat, mix the mince mutton and make meatballs which are also known as koftas.

NOTE - If you laugh at my koftas I will break your koftas.

Refrigerate the koftas for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes put two cups of chicken/mutton/beef stock in a pan and steam cook the koftas for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile but milk, yogurt, khoya, kashmiri red chilies in a blender and make the gravy mixture out of it.

Put the gravy mixture in a non stick pan and start cooking it on medium heat. Adding 1 tablespoon saunf powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.

After the meatballs/koftas are cooked add them in the gravy and cook them for 15-20 minutes more.

Add desi ghee and finely chopped mint leaves and cook for 5 more minutes.

Gushtaba is ready and it looks beautiful than any gori I have ever met in America.

Eat it with naan but a true Kashmiri will recommend it with Kashmiri Pulao which I will make sometime later.

MAKE SOME NOISE FOR GUSHTABA.