Here is the quick recipe for those of you who are in a rush but crave for something close to a Biryani but don’t have time for it. This was my savior as a bachelor, one dish meal with curd.

Ingredients:

Goat Meat – 10 to 15 pieces, small to medium size pieces

Rice – 1 Cup, Small Rice preferred or Basmati if you have.

Oil 2 Tablespoon – Vegetable or Mustard Oil

Red Onion – 1 Large, sliced thin

Green Chili – 2 sliced

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 Tablespoon

Chili Powder – 1 Teaspoon

Cloves – 2

Green Cardamom – 2

Cinnamon Stick – 1 Inch

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 Teaspoon

Haldi/Turmeric – 1/4 Teaspoon

Salt – To taste

Sugar – 1/2 Teaspoon (Optional)

Potato – 1 Cut into quarters (Optional)

Steps:

1. Clean rice well and leave soaked in warm water.
2. Clean the goat meat and cut into smaller pieces if too large.
3. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick and let it infuse for a minute.
4. Add the onions and green chillies, a little salt and sugar and fry till golden brown.
5. Add ginger garlic paste and saute on medium low flame till the smell of ginger reduces. Add the powdered spices.
6. Add the potatoes and saute for a minute. Then add the meat and mix well. You want to cook the meat till it is tender and as you cant pressure cook the rice beyond a whistle at max two quick ones, you should have smaller pieces and cook it well before putting the rice. Cover and cook the mutton.
7. Add the rice, and saute till its dry and coated well.
8. Add water – double the quantity of rice and gently stir. Taste the broth and adjust for salt.
9. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on medium flame and give it 1 whistle or two. Two whistles will make the rice too soft. Depends on how you like it and type of rice you are using.
10. Leave it to stand till the pressure releases.
11. Open and enjoy your Pulav with curd and salad.

Tips:

• Mutton should be almost done before adding the rice. You can marinate the mutton in hung curd to tenderize it before cooking. Do it overnight if you have planned for it or for a couple of hours at least. Just 1/2 cup of hung curd will do. Or you can tenderize using a puree of raw papaya.
• Add ready to use pilaf/pulav spices after adding the rice. I end up not adding any of these ready to use spices to keep the dish light and simple.
• Try with Indian Basmati long grain rice and the small Bangladeshi rice.
• I like this slightly yellow in color with a hint of turmeric so at times add turmeric powder in the oil upfront and with rice when I saute it.