The pilaf takes a little longer to make, but is well worth the effort.
What I used: Serves 4-6
4 cups goat meat with bone, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 cups jeera sambhar rice or sona masoori
5 cups boiling hot water
Whole garam masala (1 inch cinnamon, 4 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp fennel seeds)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp coarsely chopped mint (fresh/dry)
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup tomato diced
4 green chilies slit lengthwise
1 cup thick yogurt
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp oil or ghee
Masala paste: 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 6-8 sticks of fresh cilantro, 2 tsp red chili powder (Use more or less, as you choose), ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp black pepper
First, soak the raw rice in cold water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
In a cooker pan, add a tsp of oil and ½ cup onion, when it browns, add the meat, and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. Now this part is tricky, if the meat is tender, the process is not necessary. So use your judgement. If the meat is thick and rubbery, better pressure cook it to 2 pressures. Set aside.
In the meantime, add ghee into a large, thick bottom cooker or quart pan. Over medium-high heat, add the whole garam masala, and fennel seeds. Stir in the mint and left over onions, fry to a golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste. Cook on medium-high till they are soft and brown.
On another stove, get 5 cups of water to a boil.
Grind all the masala ingredients to a fine paste. Add just a little water if needed. Stir the paste into the cooking onion mixture. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add in the pressure cooked meat or raw meat and yogurt. Cook covered now for 10-12 minutes.
Add in 5 cups of boiling water (lesser if you like your pilaf flaky, more if you like it soft and mushy). Bring the mixture to a good boil.
Now drain the soaked rice and add it into the bubbling mixture slowly. Let is simmer on high for 3 minutes.
Add in the diced tomatoes, slit green chilies and lime juice, then, cover the simmering mixture on low heat for the next 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally, very gently. All the liquid will evaporate. Test to see if the rice is cooked. If it is watery, let it stay on low heat for a few more minutes. The meat should drop off the bone easily, and the rice should be soft and greasy. Turn off the heat. Smear the top of the pilaf with 1tsp ghee just before it is served. Serve hot with some raw onion and lime slices. Enjoy!
