For many, you’d imagine tender, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of mutton perfectly browned, the aroma of cardamom, coriander and cumin, pillowy soft basmati rice all laced together with sweet slivers of fried onion. But for me, I feel a sense of comfort, warmth and happiness when I think of Mutton Pulao. Comfort, knowing I can always turn to this recipe like a faithful, old friend who forever has my back. Warmth, knowing this is a delicious meal my family will always love and enjoy, no failures and no hassle. Happiness, remembering all the good times I’ve made this for family, friends, to contribute at a dinner, or just for my husband and daughter. For me, Mutton Pulao means so much more than just a tasty rice dish. It’s the pride when my Mother asks me to help out for the dawat she’s hosting tonight by making Mutton Pulao, or when my husband tells his family ‘Fatima bohot acha pulao banati hai’. It’s the reassuring aroma of cinnamon, cardamom and cumin wafting around the kitchen and making its way into the living room. It’s my Chachi stirring a giant pot the size of her entire hob, sauteing mutton to serve Pulao to our entire family for Eid ul-Adha. Excuse me for being a bit cliche, but Mutton Pulao is love.
What makes a delicious Pulao?
Mutton Pulao is cooked just like other Pulaos, by simmering up a broth (called yakhni in Urdu/Hindi) using the meat and a variety of aromatic whole spices. The beauty of a Mutton Pulao is that since it takes up to 2hrs to cook, it gets an opportunity to simmer for longer and develop a much deeper flavour. This is significantly longer than a Chicken Pulao, which only needs half an hour. Any cook worth their skill will know a slow and long simmer is key to releasing all those delicious juices and flavours. I personally find the long, slow simmer therapeutic. Sensing the aroma in the kitchen develop, watching the broth simmer away knowing our families favourite is in the makes - it’s a very comforting feeling. In additional to the long simmer, the combination of the whole spices is what really elevates any Pulao. Without the spices, any Pulao is incomplete. I use a combination of aromatic whole spices, ginger and garlic for my yakhni. The long list may seem daunting for someone who isn’t very familiar with them. But please, don’t be daunted. They are all used in a small quantity and they all come together to form the wonderful flavour we’re on the look-out (or should I say cook-out?) for.
How To Cook Mutton Pulao
In my Chicken Pulao recipe, I’ve used the typical and traditional method of making a Yakhni Pulao, which involves simmering a broth with the meat and spices, straining the meat and spices out whilst reserving the water, and then frying onions in a separate pot, adding the chicken, stock and rice in and cooking till complete. Time, experience and motherhood has definitely helped evolve my Pulao making practice. My more common method now, which I utilise for this Lamb Pulao recipe, is a one-pot method which involves frying onions in a pot and then going on to cook the yakhni in the same pot with all the whole spices tied in a permeable cloth (called a potli). Once the meat is cooked, you can remove the potli and add the rice, cook, and your Pulao is ready with no need to strain anything out. The yakhni tastes the same since it has been simmered with all the same spices and meat for the same amount of time it would have in the first method - just all in one pot. This method makes a Mutton Pulao much more approachable for me, as a busy Mother who really doesn’t need extra hassle or dishes to deal with, but still wants to cook a family favourite.
Picking The Best Mutton For Your Pulao
As for all kinds of meat and produce, you want to pick the freshest mutton you can find. When I post anything related to mutton on my Instagram, I often receive a message or so asking me how to get rid of the ‘bad’ smell of mutton which makes it off-putting. My good fortune in this regard is that I come from a family with a chain of meat and grocery stores in London, therefore I am always able to get my hands on the freshest, best quality meat. Often, the meat is so fresh from the slaughter it’s still warm. So in this regard, my best advice is to get your hands on fresh meat. Ask your local butcher at what day and time their fresh batch of meat will be coming in, and go in and order from that. In terms of what part of mutton to use, we always prefer a shoulder cut. The cut of mutton you prefer will be largely down to your own personal preference - many people much prefer leg over shoulder.
What Should I Serve With Mutton Pulao?
A good, standard method of serving any sort of Pulao is alongside a raita (a yogurt based sauce, spiced with salt and cumin), a kachumber salad (simply onions, tomatoes, cucumbers cut in small cubes). This serves the purpose of adding a refreshing, crunchy and cool hint to the warm and tender Pulao rice and meat. On occasion, Shami Kebabs (you can get my recipe here) are also served alongside Pulao. If you aren’t up for the effort that Shami Kebabs require, I find Aloo Tikkis are a fine substitute. I personally feel like this is a perfect combination and doesn’t need any more additions. For more lavish dinners and parties however, it definitely may feel like a Mutton Pulao isn’t enough (sadly!). In this case, I’d like to opt to serve this alongside a non-red meat based shorba, such as this Chicken Shorba which you can cook with peas, boiled eggs or potatoes to add some extra oomph. Chicken Koftas would also be a great idea too! On to the recipe! If you make this, I’d love to see a picture of the outcome! Tag me on Instagram @fatima.cooks - seeing your recreations is one of my most favourite things!
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