Pakistani Lamb Pulao

Name: Pakistani Lamb Pulao
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Pakistan
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons minced ginger or ginger mashed to a paste; 1½ teaspoons ground black cumin or 2 teaspoons regular ground cumin; About 3 tablespoons melted ghee or butter, or to taste (optional); 2 cups water; 1½ teaspoons salt; One 2-inch piece cinnamon or cassia stick; 2 tablespoons minced garlic or garlic mashed to a paste; 2 bay leaves; 5 brown cardamom pods, or substitute 5 green cardamom pods; 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked in 6 cups water for 1 to 3 hours; 2 teaspoons ground coriander seed; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1 cup diced or crushed canned or fresh tomatoes; 1½ pounds boneless lamb (preferably shoulder), cut into ¾-inch cubes; ½ teaspoon cayenne; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 6 cups thinly sliced onions; ½ teaspoon mace, preferably freshly ground; ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; ¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds (optional); About 1½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional); Generous ½ cup coriander leaves, coarsely chopped; 6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Complex

Appears in

Mangoes & Curry Leaves

By Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Published 2005

About

In Pakistan, bread is generally for everyday meals and rice is for special occasions. This lamb pulao from Pakistan is a special-occasion dish of lamb and rice that is like the pulaos of Central Asia—Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Xinjiang, for example. Lamb or goat are traditional, but in Pakistan these days, beef might be substituted. The pulao has the blend of flavors that we associate with Moghul dishes: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, all subtly blended.

The list

Ingredients

Asia
Pakistan
Main course
Gluten-free
Spicy

Ingredients

Method