skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Today's yakhni pulao comes from the Kashmiri cuisine, that is said to have originated in Nawabi kitchens. Kashmir was predominantly a Hindu region until the early parts of 14th century. However the subsequent invasions by the Muslim rulers for the next 500 years has led to a cuisine, one that is strongly influenced by the Persian, Central Asian and Afghani cultures. Spices which are considered heat generating are liberally used in their cooking because of the cold climate, but the food is usually mild. Ghee is the traditional medium of cooking.
Today's pulao differs from the standard versions as it uses 'yakhni'. Yakhni is the stock prepared by boiling a bundle of spices along with meat (if it is being used) in water. The meaty broth is then used to cook the rice which makes it more flavorful. The spices are usually tied in a muslin cloth and the bundle is dropped in the water along with the meat in this pulao preparation than adding them directly. The water gets infused with flavors from the spices while the meat is being cooked and the spices are then discarded. One can choose not to tie them in a bundle but however need to scoop out the spices when the final broth is ready.
The pulao is usually made with mutton / meat and is on the milder side. Let the laundry list of ingredients below do not intimidate you, especially if you are eschewing the meat part. The vegetarian version of mine uses vegetables and soy chunks for the protein part which happens to be a favorite ingredient in our household. Paneer or tofu or any beans would be a nice substitution for those who don't prefer soy chunks. It can be served with a raita or a spicy gravy.
Ingredients for pulao: (yield 3 - 4 servings)
3/4 cup basmati rice
1 cup soy chunks
About 2 cups mixed vegetables (I used green beans cut into 1 inch pieces, cubed carrots and peas.)
1 tbsp. ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ginger - garlic paste
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp. yogurt
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
Salt to taste ( I used about 1 tsp.)
Ingredients for yakhni stock:
2 small bay leaves
4 black pepper corns
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 inch piece of ginger
1 or 2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp. mace powder
3 cups water
For fried onions / birista:
Oil to shallow / deep fry
2 medium sized onions, sliced thinly lengthwise
Prep work:
1. Rinse and soak the soya chunks in water for about 10 minutes to rehydrate them. Drain the water after the soy chunks soften.
2. Chop and keep the vegetables ready.
3. Rinse and soak the rice for at least about 20 minutes.
Yakhni preparation:
1. Tie all the ingredients mentioned under 'for yakhni stock' in a clean, small muslin cloth or in one of those mesh balls used as spice infusers for teas. This is called boquet garni.
2. Add 3 cups of water and bouquet garni to a sauce pan and bring the water to a boil. Add beans, carrots, soya chunks and cook for another 5 minutes. (Actually I added more water and let it boil for about 20 minutes.)Turn off the stove. Remove the boquet garni and squeeze the garlic - ginger to get the maximum flavors. Discard the boquet garni. Scoop out the vegetables with a slotted spoon into a bowl. The stock that you are left with is called 'yakhni'. Measure the yakhni stock and you should have about 1.5 cups of liquid. If the yakhni does not come to that amount, add some extra water to make it 1.5 cups.
Frying onions:
Fry the onions in hot oil on medium flame until crisp and golden brown. Take care not to burn them. Drain on paper towels and keep them aside.
Cooking pulao:
* Heat ghee in a dry and preferably a non stick pan / pot. Add cumin seeds.
* When cumin seeds start to brown, add ginger- garlic paste. Saute until the raw smell leaves and add tomatoes. Cook until they turn mushy.
* Next add yogurt and stir until it is blended. Next add fennel seeds if using, half of the fried onions, mixed vegetables, garam masala, salt, chili powder, coriander powder and saute for about 30 seconds.
* Next add 1.5 cups of yakhni liquid (or yakhni + water) and stir well once. Cook for about 5 minutes without covering.
* Keep the heat to the lowest setting. Seal the pot with aluminium foil / a wet cloth or some dough and cover the pot with the lid so that the flavors do not escape. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes on low flame or until the rice is cooked, resisting the temptation to peek.
So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E - Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani
M - Motiwale Pulao
N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.
I ended up with more rice options for the alphabet 'K' than any other ones. There were popular regional biryanis from Kashmir, Kerala and Kolkata. There were kushka, kathal aka jackfruit biryani, and the one made with kidney beans. There were beans with regional names that started with 'K' that could be used to cook rice dishes. And of course, 'K' stands for the popular khichdi as well. Among the lot, Kasmiri pulao won the round because it looked so attractive with fresh fruit garnishing.
For today's post, I am travelling to the northern most part of India, Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir, dubbed the 'Heaven on earth' by emperor Jahangir is a land of beautiful valleys and rivers, located in the majestic Himalayan mountains. The Muslim invasions have greatly influenced the Kashmir region in all walks of life including it's cuisine. The cooking style of the local Hindu pandits, which has been the first major influence on the regional cuisine and that of the Muslim community are the two predominant cooking styles of the region. These have evolved over centuries of culinary craftsmanship, a result of the blend of cultures greatly influenced by central Asian, Persian and Afghani cuisines.
This Kashmiri pulao is a special one in the sense it doesn't use any vegetables but loaded with nuts and fruits, both in fresh and dried forms. Diced apple, seedless grapes, pomegranate seeds, and diced pineapple seem to be the popular choices to add to the pulao. I kept postponing the cooking part until the end in the search of pomegranates with pink, juicy arils, which proved elusive in my Midwest neighborhood in the middle of winter. I am not sure whether pomegranate and pineapple were locally grown in the past centuries and whether they were an authentic addition to this pulao in a traditional sense. The addition of apple makes more sense to me. However the garnish of fresh fruits makes it very colorful, inviting and super delicious. I was initially skeptical about their addition but after tasting it, I would say the more the merrier. I kept enjoying the bursts of sweetness in every bite I took. My tongue couldn't handle even a tiny bit of spice the day I made this and so I ate it as it is to my utter satisfaction. A raita along with the pulao makes a satisfying meal.
Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/2 cup basmati rice
1 tbsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. caraway seeds / cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 cardamom
1 one inch cinnamon piece
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. ground fennel (saunf powder)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
A pinch of saffron
Salt to taste (about 1 and 1/2 tsp.)
3/4 cup water
Ingredients for garnish:
2 tbsp. ghee / oil
1 big onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
10 to 12 each - Almonds, cashews and walnuts (I added pistachios as well.)
1/2 to 1 cup fresh fruit pieces (Cut them just before garnishing.)
Directions:
* Wash the rice in two changes of water, soak in water for about 30 minutes and drain.
* Heat ghee in a small pressure cooker and add caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf. When the seeds start to brown, add ground fennel and ground ginger and stir.
* Next add the soaked rice and stir gently for about a minute so that grains are coated well with ghee /oil. Add a pinch of saffron, salt and water and stir well.
* Close the lid and put the valve on. Pressure cook for 3 whistles and turn off the stove. Let the valve pressure be gone. Allow it to sit for few minutes and then open the lid.
* While the rice is being cooked, heat ghee / oil in a small pan for toasting the onions and nuts. Add nuts one by one and toast until golden brown on low flame, Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Each variety takes few seconds to toast. Do not burn them.
* Add onion slices to the same oil and a pinch of salt and fry on medium flame until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
* Gently fluff the rice and garnish with toasted nuts, toasted onion and fruits.
So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A for Ambur Biryani
B for Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C for Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D for Donne Biryani
E for Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F for Fada ni Khichdi
G for Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H for Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I for Iyengar Puliyogare
J for Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
Event: Blogging marathon #40
Theme: Unused posts from BM #39
BM #40 starts from today and one of the themes gave us an opportunity to make use of the extra posts we had in our drafts from last marathon, which was based on Indian states' cuisines. I am going with that theme for this week and the first post in this series is going to be lotus root chips. I had it as a backup plan for the state of Jammu and Kashmir if I didn't get hold of an authentic Bakarkhani recipe. It is another story that I ended up with girda and tamatar chaaman instead.
I wanted to try the baked version of lotus roots chips ever since I saw this recipe. The traditional version involves deep frying and a favorite of Kashmiris. This baked version is good too when served fresh from the oven and I had them as an accompaniment to my rice-dal lunch.
Ingredients:
Lotus root discs
2 tbsp oil
Salt
Chilli powder
Method:
* If using fresh lotus root, peel the skin and cut into 1/8 inch thick discs. Let the discs be of the same size for uniform baking. I used pre-cut frozen lotus root discs and popped them in the microwave for about a minute before slicing each disc into two since they were thick.
* In the meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Add the discs and salt to it and cook for about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer them onto a towel to dry.
* Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.
* Put 2 tbsp of oil on a baking sheet. Add salt and chili powder (as needed) to the oil and mix well. Next add the discs to the oil mix and gently combine to coat them.
* Spread them on the baking sheet and bake for about 20 - 22 minutes, stopping halfway through to flip them once. (Mine were done in about 16-18 minutes.)
Comments
Girda is one of the tandoor breads from the Kashmir valley. Owing to the absence of a tandoor oven, I wasn't exactly looking for an authentic looking girda. Besides, I was at a loss regarding the texture / flavor as I have never tasted it. One of the online sources mentioned that they are crispy from outside and soft inside. If that was the criteria I was looking for then this experiment was a success.
The bread is an easy one to put together but the preparation starts hours prior to baking since a portion of the dough needs fermentation. It is a breakfast bread and I would have enjoyed this even with a jam / nutella spread instead of a gravy curry.
Recipe Source: India Cookbook
Ingredients: (Make 8 girdas)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups wheat flour / atta
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp yogurt
1 tsp poppy seeds
(I added 1 - 2 tbsp oil as well.)
Method:
* Add all purpose flour to a mixing bowl. Add water as needed to form a soft dough. Cover and leave it to ferment overnight.
* Next day, sift wheat flour into a bowl. Add salt, sugar, ghee and the fermented all purpose flour dough to it. Mix everything. Add extra water as needed to form a soft dough. At this point, add baking powder and knead well so that it is incorporated into the dough well. (I added oil as well.)
* Preheat oven to 350 deg F / 180 deg C.
* Divide the dough into 8 portions and shape each one into a flat, oval shaped bread. Using a knife, make a slit along the one side of each bread and spread a little yogurt inside. Sprinkle some poppy seeds over the bread tops. Make small depressions on the bread using your finger tips.
* Bake until they start rising and turn light brown. (Though the recipe mentions to bake for 10 - 15 minutes, I had to bake for 30 minutes. Then I brushed them with ghee and broiled them for 3 - 4 minutes.)
I paired girda with tamatar chaaman. It turns out that Punjabi chaman and this chaaman are poles opposite. Tamatar chaaman is a delectable, Kashmiri paneer preparation in a thick tomato sauce. It is a quick and simple one to put together without elaborate preparations. I prepared a small quantity and used the spices accordingly.
Ingredients: (Serves 6)
1 pound or about 1/2 kg paneer, cut into one inch cubes
1 tbsp oil + extra for shallow frying the paneer (Traditionally mustard oil is used.)
5 cloves
5 green cardamom pods
2 one inch cinnamon sticks
A pinch of asafoetida
3 cups pureed tomatoes
2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
1.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Kashmiri garam masala
Cilantro leaves to garnish
Method:
* Fry paneer cubes until golden brown through out, using shallow frying method.Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent towels. Keep them aside.
* Heat oil and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and asafoetida. Fry for few seconds and add tomato puree. Cook until all the water evaporates.
* Pour about a cup of hot water and all the spices except the garam masala. Bring the mixture to boil and add the paneer.
* Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
* Sprinkle garam masala at the end and stir gently. Simmer for about a couple of minutes more.
* Garnish with coriander leaves.
Comments
