Baroda Mutton Pulao

We came across this recipe in one of my favorite cook-books-‘Rare Gems: A Non-Vegetarian Gourmet Collection from Maharashtra’- by Aditya Mehendale. The book documents, non-veg delicacies of different Maharashtrian communities, some well-known recipes and also some lesser known recipes that are known only to these communities.

This recipe is documented under Kolhapur cuisine, and as the book states, originated in kitchens of Peshwa. They had cooks from both Muslim and Hindu community and this recipe is a beautiful depiction of the fusion of culinary habits of these communities which explains why fresh and dry coconut are added as a part of the recipe.

Rice is cooked separately until it is 70% done, which would take about 5-7 minutes. While some flavored rice recipes add spices as a whole to the water in which rice is cooked, this recipe is more subtle, and requires adding spices indirectly in form of a spice pouch. All the spices listed under rice section must be tied in a muslin cloth to form a pouch, and allowed to simmer with water until it releases its juices. The pouch is then taken out and rice is cooked in this flavored water. This makes it more flavorful without one actually having to bite onto the spices. Once the rice gets cooked, strain it with a strainer and remember to spread it in a large plate. This ensures every grain stays long and intact, and you want to have retain the beauty of rice grains when the pulao gets served.

Mutton is cooked separately, with separate masala pastes being used in cooking the mutton. Poppy seeds and dry coconut paste, all masala tied in the pouch are simmered into water are fried and grinded to form a red paste. These masalas permeate into the mutton pieces and make it juicy and flavorful.

Finally we mix rice with mutton, lining them into separate layers inside a Handi (vessel), and sprinkling generous amount of fried onions, cashew nuts, saffron water, grated fresh coconut and chopped cilantro on these layers, sealing the Handi with chapatti dough and allowing it to cook with dum method. This recipe is elaborate and involves quite an exhaustive list of ingredients, but the outcome is exotic and alluring.

You and your family deserve a royal treat, make this authentic Baroda mutton pulao and share your feedback with us in the comment section below.

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Baroda Mutton Pulao

Rating  5.0 from 2 reviews

Prep time:  30 mins

Cook time:  65 mins

Total time:  1 hour 35 mins

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• For Rice Preparation:
• 250 grams long grain basmati rice. Soak rice for 30 minutes in a bowl of water.
• 3 star anise
• 6 cm cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 5 green cardamom
• 4 peppercorn.
• 100 grams onions thinly sliced.
• 10 dry red chilies (byadagi)
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• For mutton preparation:
• 500 grams mutton pieces
• 150 grams onions thinly sliced
• 1 cup fried onion
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds soaked in water for 2 hours
• ¼th cup fried cashew nut
• ¼th cup grated fresh coconut
• 2 tbsp grated dry coconut
• ¼th cup finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• Few saffron strands soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• Clarified butter(Ghee)
• Salt

Instructions

1. While cooking rice, we will make a pouch of spices and soak it in simmering water.This makes the rice flavorful without one actually biting the spices.
2. Use a muslin cloth for making such pouch.Put onions, dry red chilies, bay leaf, Star Anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom black peppercorn, Coriander seeds and fennel seeds.Tie this into a pouch
3. In a large pan take 2 cups of water (for 1 cup of rice).
4. Soak the spice-pouch in the water and let it simmer.As water begins to boil, remove the spice pouch and keep it aside.
5. Add rice to the water,1 tsp salt. Cook rice till it is 70% done.
6. Meanwhile we will make a masala paste.Put dry coconut in a grinder jar,cumin seeds, soaked poppy seeds. Grind these ingredients into a fine paste.
7. We will cook rice for 5 minutes (70%). Strain cooked rice with a strainer.
8. Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan.Fry the spices from the pouch in this ghee.Fry these spices for 2-3 minutes.
9. Spread cooked rice in a large plate.This will keep all grains long and intact and prevent them from breaking.
10. Turn off the flame, and allow spices to cool down.Grind them into a fine and thick paste.
11. In a large vessel, heat 3 tbsp ghee. Put sliced onions and fry them until it turns light brown in color.
12. Onions turn brown in 5 minutes. Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder and cook it for 30 seconds.
13. Now add ginger-garlic paste, poppy seeds paste, pouch masala paste. Bhunao all the ingredients together. We can add 2-3 tbsp water for Bhunao.
14. Bhunao the spices for 10 minutes on low flame. Now add mutton pieces, salt to taste, 1 cup water. Stir in the mutton pieces.
15. Cover and Cook mutton pieces until it is completely cooked.
16. Mutton gets cooked in 35 minutes on low flame.Mutton must be of thicker consistency (no gravy consistency). Turn off the flame
17. While we assemble the pulao, place a heavy bottom iron tawa on flame. Mutton and Rice will not be placed directly on flame, but on the tawa in a sealed vessel.
18. Sprinkle some fried onions on mutton.Spread half of the rice. Chopped fresh coriander(cilantro),Ghee,Fresh grated coconut,Saffron water,Fried Cashew nuts, Some more fresh coriander. This completes first layer.
19. Now let's make second layer.Spread remaining rice.Spread Fried onions,Ghee,Saffron water,Fried Cashew nuts.
20. Seal the vessel(Handi) with chapati flour(atta).
21. Seal the vessel with this lid.
22. Place the vessel on tawa for dum cooking.We will let this cook for 10-15 minutes.
23. Take pulao off the flame after 12 minutes.Unseal the pulao while serving.
24. Baroda mutton pulao can be relished with raita

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