An Afghan meal is incomplete without a big dish of Kabuli Pulao on the table. It is a delicate mixture of fluffy rice, tender lamb with aromatic seasonings and garnished with carrots and raisins. It tastes amazing and the hidden meat under rice pilaf is so tender it will melt in your mouth. I love entertaining my guests with Kabuli Pulao and I am always asked for the recipe, so, here it goes.
Ingredients
3 cups long- grain sella basmati rice
4 Lamb shanks
2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
3 medium tomatoes
½ c plus 2 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
salt to taste
3 large carrots, peeled
1 cup black raisins
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp. Cumin
4 cardamom pods
2 tsp, garam masala
10 cups water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Soak rice in a bowl of water for 3-4 hours and drain in a colander.
Wash and dry the lamb. Set aside.
Choose a sauté pan that is at least a couple inches deep and large enough to fit all the lamb.
Pour ½ cup of the oil in the pan and sauté the onions over high heat, stirring quickly, until golden brown (5-8 minutes).
Add lamb, tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamom and 6 cups of water. Cover the pot with an airtight lid and simmer for 2 hours, or until lamb is fork- tender. Sometimes, I use pressure cooker to cut cooking time. It will take approximately 10-15 mins in a pressure cooker.
While the meat is cooking, cut the carrots into long matchsticks, about 4 inches long and 1/8-inch thick. Make sure that they are not too thin. In a large frying pan add 2 tbsp of oil, and then and add the carrots and 1-2 tbsp sugar and cook until tender (, 5 to 7 minutes). Keep a close eye on the pan to make sure you do not overcook. Once the carrots are done, add the raisins. Stir quickly over medium-high heat. The raisins will look plump and, the carrots will take on a nice sweet flavor. Remove from heat and package the carrots in a sealed aluminum foil pouch.
Remove the lamb pieces from the broth and set aside. At this point, pour sugar into a hot pan over medium heat and keep shaking the pan until the sugar caramelizes and takes dark brown color.
Add caramelized sugar, garam masala and cumin to broth and continue to cook until it thickens a bit.
Meanwhile, measure 10 cups of water and salt into a large pot with a fitted lid. Bring it to a boil. Add rice to the water and boil until it is still crunchy. This will take just a few minutes. You will have to taste it to check for doneness. Warning: Do not overcook it, you don't want it mushy.
Immediately strain the rice through a colander and then put the rice back into its cooking pot and add the broth. Mix well. Arrange the lamb pieces on top of the rice or layer it in the middle of the rice (I do both on occasion). Set the aluminum package of carrots on top of the rice. This will keep the carrots warm and deepen the flavors without mixing them with the rice yet.
Cover the pot and bake the rice for 30-40 minutes at 300 degrees.
Arrange the lamb pieces on a large platter, cover with the rice and.then sprinkle the carrots and raisins on top. Serve with white sauce (Recipe will be posted at another time).
Hub and I used to go to this one particular Afghan restaurant near my college during my undergrad years. We loved their Kabuli pulao and missed it so much when we moved out of NY that I learnt to cook it myself with several different recipes and finally came up with my own, which tastes very similar to the one at the restaurant. My family and friends call and insist on me making it for them when they visit. I take great pleasure in seeing them enjoy the dish I prepare for them.
