Beef Pulao (Beef Rice Pilaf)
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups (650 g) sella/parboiled basmati rice - washed, soaked for 2 hours, then drained (see Note A)
For the broth
- 1.5 inch piece of ginger - peeled, avoid store-bought paste
- 10 cloves garlic - peeled, avoid store-bought paste
- 8 small green chilies - adjust quantity to taste (see important Note B)
- 2 pounds (1 kg) beef - I prefer bone-in, but boneless also works, cut approximately into 2 to 3 inch pieces
- 3.5 teaspoons salt
For the pulao
- ½ cup (120 ml) cooking oil
- 1 large (150 g) onion - cut into thin slices
- 6 whole black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- 10 whole green cardamom - aka choti elachi, pods should be intact, not broken
- 1 inch piece cinnamon stick - aka dalchini
- 16 pieces whole black peppercorns - aka sabut kali mirch
- 12 whole cloves - aka laung
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds - aka saunf
- 1 whole star anise - aka badiyan ka phool
- 8 small green chilies - whole, uncut
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking. You can use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Blend ginger, garlic and 8 small green chilies into a paste. Add only enough water to make it smooth.
- In an Instant Pot, add beef, ginger-garlic-green-chili paste, salt and 4 cups water. Mix, secure the lid, set to pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Wait 15 minutes, then quick-release the pressure and open the lid. (See Note C below for regular pressure cooker instructions)
- Remove the beef, set it aside. Measure the broth in cups. You need 1.5 cups of liquid per 1 cup of rice. So for 3.5 cups rice, you need 5.25 cups liquid. If there isn’t enough, add water to make up the difference.
- In a large pot/saucepan, heat oil, and saute onion over medium-high heat, until softened, but not golden or brown.
- Add black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cloves, fennel seeds and star anise. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add 8 small whole green chilies (pull the stems out, but chilies should have no cuts or openings to avoid extra heat). Sauté until slightly softened.
- Add in the measured broth and the cooked beef, bring to a boil, then add strained, presoaked rice. Stir gently to mix.
- Partially cover the pot with lid and let liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong). Don't stir yet, just keep an eye. At first, the bubbles on the surface will be big and vigorous. As the liquid cooks down further, you'll start to see small bubbles and steam holes across the surface. That’s your cue to give a brief, gentle stir. Some liquid (around 10 to 20 percent) will still be left, which is intended.
- Cover completely with lid right away, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it steam for 15 minutes. If using regular basmati instead of sella basmati, steam 10 minutes instead. DO NOT remove the lid. No peeking, no stirring.
- Turn off the heat. DO NOT remove the lid yet and leave the pot on the same burner. Let the rice rest for 15 minutes so it finishes cooking in residual heat.
- After the resting time, remove the lid, plate the rice using a flat, wide utensil like a rice paddle, and enjoy.
Notes
Note A: Rice –Regular basmati can replace sella, but it’s less forgiving and may get mushy if overcooked. Soak 30 minutes and steam for 10 instead of 15. All other steps are the same.
Not B: Green Chilies – Chilies are listed twice for a reason. Some go in the paste, and some are used whole later. The heat level can vary a lot by type, so adjust the amount for both your taste and the chili’s spiciness. If unsure, use less.
Note C: Pressure Cooker Instructions – Seal the pressure cooker and heat until full pressure is reached. Lower the heat just enough to maintain gentle pressure, cook 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure naturally drop for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure according to your cooker’s instructions.