Qabuli Pulao
Qabuli Pulao is not a dish to be rushed. It’s not a difficult dish to make but multiple bowls and pots and pans will be used! It’s best made on a snowy weekend afternoon while sipping a leisurely cup of tea. Even better, play a little game of Barfi on a friend and have them make it for you!
Before you get going
The night before: Start soaking the rice. Make the char masala. Do knife work (i.e. cut carrots, chicken, onions)
The day of: Cook the onion, garlic and meat. While it’s simmering, parboil the rice and prepare the carrots and raisins. As soon as the meat is ready, strain broth and make the caramelized sugar mixture. Complete the final assembly in your Dutch oven!
To save on pots and pans: We recommend a Dutch oven for cooking the onions, garlic, and meat and then reusing for the final cooking. No need to wash between the two stages. Just wipe out and then coat lightly with oil before finishing the dish.
Serves 8-10.
Preparation time: approximately three hours, not counting the rice’s overnight soak.
Rice
4 cups Basmati or other long-grain rice
Cover with cold water and soak overnight before proceeding with recipe
Char Masala
Ingredients
1 teaspoon each
Ground cloves
Ground cinnamon
Ground cumin
Ground green cardamom
Ground black pepper
Ground black cardamom
Directions
Combine spices and set aside. You’ll need about 1 ½ teaspoons for the recipe. The rest can be stored for a few months. You can also use whole spices and grind them in an electric spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
Chicken/Lamb/Beef
2 medium onions (or one large), halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
2# boneless chicken thighs, or boneless lamb or beef (or veal), cut into 2” pieces
1 teaspoon char masala
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water or stock
Lightly brown onions and garlic in two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat, about ten minutes.
Remove from pan, add meat, with additional two tablespoons of oil (if needed), to pan and lightly brown on all sides.
When browned, return onion mixture to the meat in the pan, salt lightly, sprinkle with char masala and cover with one cup water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is fork tender.
Add more water as needed to maintain at least one cup of liquid throughout the cooking process. Start checking for doneness after 30 minutes if cooking chicken. Beef and lamb may take up to 1.5 hours.
When the meat is tender, strain the contents, reserving the meat and broth separately.
Measure out one cup of broth to finish the dish. If there’s extra broth, reserve for another use
Parboil the Rice
While the meat is cooking; drain the rice which has been soaked overnight.
Fill a large saucepan with water, add one tablespoon of salt, and bring to a boil.
Add the drained rice and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes or until rice is nearly cooked (tender on the outside but still firm in the middle, check a kernel or two.)
Drain the rice and set aside.
Carrots & Raisins
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin julienne (about ¼ inch thick) or shredded
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1 cup dark raisins
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a small skillet and sauté the julienned or shredded carrots, sprinkling with one teaspoon ground cardamom and one tablespoon sugar, a few tablespoons of water, and a pinch of saffron (if using.)
Cook over medium heat until softened; remove from pan and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté the raisins until they’ve swelled. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Caramelized Broth for Rice
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon char masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup broth from cooking the meat, do not degrease; the fat will help coat the rice and add flavor
Wipe the small skillet dry.
Add four tablespoons of sugar and heat over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until sugar has caramelized. This will take four or five minutes.
When the sugar has melted and is turning caramel-colored, very carefully, and off the heat, add the one cup of reserved broth, along with char masala and cumin.
Return to heat, bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool slightly then stir the caramelized sugar broth into the parboiled rice and mix well, until the rice is evenly coated.
Putting it all together:
Lightly oil a shallow pan or Dutch oven large enough to hold the rice and meat.
Spread half the rice in the pan or Dutch oven.
Top the rice with the meat and onion mixture.
Add a layer of half the carrots and raisins.
Top with the remainder of the rice and using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes through the rice to the bottom of the pot.
Cover the pot with a clean kitchen towel and then a tight-fitting lid.
Fold the ends of the towel up over the lid.
Set the pot over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, gently stir the meat and rice together.
Mound onto a serving platter and top with reserved carrots and raisins
Garnish with toasted, chopped pistachios or slivered almonds if desired.
© 2022, Holly Hill Inn/Ilex Summit, LLC and its affiliates, All Rights Reserved
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