Yakhni Pulao

Slightly crush the cardamom pods and cloves. Combine the meat with the whole onion marked with an ‘X,’ all of the whole spices, salt, ginger, garlic, and water in a large pot. Simmer everything on a medium-low heat for about an hour. Keep checking every few minutes after the hour so it does not get too tender. Do not cook this too much because you will cook the meat again with the rice.

Once it is done to your liking, remove from heat and drain the whole thing in a colander and collect the stock. Remove onion and ginger and any other spices that are not stuck to the meat. It is completely up to you at this point. But DO NOT remove all the spices stuck to the lamb or you will lose the flavor.

Heat oil in a pot/pan and fry the sliced onions on medium heat until they caramelize. This will take some time but keep your eye on the end product. After the onions are done, add the rice and keep stirring for a couple of minutes. Then add the stock along with the meat. Mix everything, cover the pot with a well-fitting lid and cook on medium heat for around 20–25 minutes. Please do not open the lid while the rice is cooking. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slowly open the lid and if you have any excess water/stock (I didn’t have any!), remove with a spoon and let sit for a few more minutes.

I served it with tomato-cucumber raita spiced with black pepper. But next time, I am also going to make some kind of gravy or sauce to complement the pulao.