Kabuli Pulao - National Dish of Afghanistan

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups ( 340g ) Basmati Rice

• 2 cups ( 500 ml ) freshly boiled water

• 2 lamb shanks or lamb shoulder or leg ( 850g )

• 4 Garlic Cloves

• 3 tbps Sesame Oil

• 3 Carrots ( 200g )

• Raisins ( 50g )

• 1 Onion

• 3 tbps Vegetable Oil

• 2/4 tbps Butter

• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste

• 3 tbps Cumin Powder

• 3 tbps Sugar

• 1 tbps Cardamom Powder

• 1 tbps Turmeric

• 1/2 tbps Black Pepper

• 1.5 tbps Salt

• 1/8 tbps Saffron 

• 2 Ice Cubes 

• 1 tbps Slivered Pistachios ( garnishing ) (optional)

PROCEDURE

• Transfer 2 ice cubes into a glass. Sprinkle the saffron over the ice. Let the ice get melt. The saffron will dissolve in the water. 

• Peel the onion and garlic and cut it into half and slice them.

• Peel the carrots and chop them into julienne size.

COOKING THE MEAT 

• Heat 3 tbps Sesame Oil in a frying pan and fry the lamb shanks for about 10 minutes until it becomes golden brown.

• Then after removing the meat from the pan gently fry the onions in the same oil. After 5 minutes add the garlic and fry both together for about 5 min.

• Then add the tomato paste into the frying pan and add turmeric powder ( as much required ),  black pepper, 1 tbps of the cumin powder and salt ( as much required ).

• Add 2 cups ( 500ml ) boiled water.

• Stir the mixture nicely and add the fried meat into the pan.

• Put on the lid and let it simmer over low heat for about 1h 45 min.

• While it's about 1h, add half of the saffron water.

FRYING THE CARROT PROCEDURE

• Add the 2/4 tbps Butter into a pan.

• Add the carrots and fry them over low heat for about 5 minutes.

• Then sprinkle the sugar over them and put on the lid for about 10 min.

• Remove the carrots from the pan and fry the raisins for a few minutes by stirring constantly. Keep it aside.

BOILING THE RICE

• Prepare rice for about 15 min before the end of the cooking time for the meat. 

• Wash the rice by moving it around in a bowl of water, draining it, adding fresh water, and repeating this process 4 to 5 times.

• In a large pan add 1.5l of water and add 1 tbps of salt and boil it.

• As the water starts boiling, add the rice to it and stir it to make that it does not stick together. 

• Bring down the rice a little bit hard.

• After the rice is done, drain the rice in a colander and wash it thoroughly with cold water. 

SAUCE PREPERATION

• Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan. The sauce should be nicely reduced now. Sieve the sauce through a strainer to filter out the onion and garlic. All their goodness is now in the sauce and you can discard of them.

LAYERING

• Usually the rice is layered with spices, meat, sauce, carrots and raisins, it's same for Persian Loobia Polo. 

• Set some of the carrots and raisins aside for later as garnish.

• Then add 3 tbps of vegetable oil and 2 tbps of hot water to the pan you want to finish cooking your rice in.

• Now add a little rice to the pan, enough to cover the bottom of it. Then add a little sauce, a little meat, some carrots and raisins and sprinkle with some of the remaining cumin and cardamom powder.

• Repeat these steps until all the ingredients are used up. Pour the remaining saffron water over the rice in the end.

• Create 3 holes through the rice with the back of a wooden spoon.

• Heat the pan over medium temperature.

• Line the lid with a clean kitchen towel.

• As soon as steam rises from the rice, put the lid on.

• Reduce the temperature to low and let the Pulao steam for about 45 min. 

GARNISHING

Serve your Kabuli Pulao on a large plate. Garnish with the carrots and raisins, set aside earlier and sprinkle with slivered pistachios, if you guys like.

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