Beef meatball pulao

Name: Beef meatball pulao (With silver leaf and rose buds)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 4–6
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: ½ tsp each of grated ginger and garlic; 300 g/10½ oz beef mince (ground beef); 300 g/10½ oz beef mince (ground beef); ½ tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp dry-roasted cumin seeds; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp each of grated ginger and garlic; 2 tbsp ghee; 250 g/9 oz/1¼ cups basmati rice; vegetable oil, for frying; 1 tbsp breadcrumbs; 2 large red onions, cut into half moons; 1 tsp each of crushed garlic and grated ginger; 1 tsp each of crushed garlic and grated ginger; 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 star anise; 1 tsp whole black peppercorns; 1 black cardamom pod; salt, to taste; 25 ml/1 fl oz/2 tbsp water (optional); 1 sheet edible silver leaf; 10–12 dried edible rose buds

With silver leaf and rose buds

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 5

Appears in

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2016

About

This simple recipe for spiced pulao is made into something extra special with the addition of beef meatballs that are adorned with silver leaf for an eye-catching effect. The idea is that they’re supposed to resemble pearls, and the recipe is known as ‘motti’ (pearl) pulao in my home. The silver-leaf can be left off, of course.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

300 g/10½ oz beef mince (ground beef)
½ tsp

Method

Wash the rice, rinse and soak in a bowl of water for 1 hour, then drain.

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together in a bowl then divide the mixture into golf ball-sized balls. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the meatballs in batches for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

For the rice, heat the ghee in a saucepan wi