Irachi Chor - Mutton rice/ Mutton Pulao

Today, I am sharing a Malabar dish, Irachi chor or Mutton Pulao..Its preparation is same as I mentioned in  Chicken Majboos  earlier..Its a Thalasherry  special rice..Its more easier than making biryani..Its quantity of ingredients is less when compared to biryani...Firstly, we prepare
Beef/ Mutton curry,then mixed with drained rice on it and cooked in a slow flame for few minutes..Do take little care while cooking rice,when you are preparing this dish.Jeerakashala or Kaima rice is mostly prepared in this dish..You can substitute it with basmati rice,if you don't have kaima rice...If you want a change from making biryani, do try this dish..Its easy to prepare and tastes delicious when served warm..Do impress your household...Lets go to the recipe :)

Recipe Source: Taken from my cookbook,'Ramadan Recipes' by Rasiya Latheef

     Ingredients

• Mutton / Beef - 1/2 kilo ( cut into medium size)

• Jeerakashala / Basmati rice - 3 cups

• Bay leaf - 1 no.

• Cardamom - 2  no.s

• Cloves - 2 no.s

• Cinnamon - 1"pc

• Large Onions,sliced - 3 no.s

• Large Tomatoes,sliced - 2 no.s

• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp

• Chopped green chillies - 2 to 3 no.s ( depends upon your spice level)

• Chopped mint leaves - 1 tbsp

• Chopped coriander leaves - l handful ( reserve half for garnishing)

• Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

• Pepper pdr - 1/2 tsp

• Kashmiri chilli pdr - 2 tsp

• Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp

• Garam masala pdr - 1/2 tsp + few for sprinkling

• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

• Salt - to taste

• Oil - 2 tbsp

• Ghee - 1 tbsp

• Normal water - 1 cup

• Hot water - 3 3/4 cups ( actually,one cup of rice = 1 3/4 cup of water...I reduced one cup of water as we are cooking rice along with stock)

• Fried cashewnuts - few ( optional)

     Method:

• Clean the mutton/beef pieces thoroughly and drain in colander..Keep aside..

• Wash the Jeerakashala rice thoroughly and drain in colander..If using Basmati rice, soak for 30 mins and drain in colander..

• In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of oil and add bay leaf till cinnamon sticks and saute for few secs.

• Add sliced onions sprinkled with salt and saute till translucent.

• Add ginger- garlic paste and chopped green chillies and saute for few seconds.

• Add sliced tomatoes and saute till mushy..

• Add all the spice powders and saute for few minutes till raw smell goes away.

• Add chopped mint and coriander leaves and saute it..

• Add cleaned mutton pieces and mix it very well..

• Add 1 cup of normal water and mix it..

• Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles till mutton cooks well..

• When pressure releases, take out the mutton pieces ( this is done to avoid breaking of mutton,while cooking with rice)..measure the stock..I got 1 1/2 cups of stock..

• In another big wide non stick vessel, add ghee and fry the Jeerakashala rice for 5 to 6 mins till light brown..If you are using basmati rice, ignore frying part..

• Add boiling hot water + stock on rice, add salt and lemon juice and mix it well..

• Close the lid.Cook the rice at low flame for 7 mins and turn at medium-heat and cook the rice,till water evaporates..Take care not to burn the rice at bottom..

• When water evaporates, immediately lower the flame,add mutton pcs and turn the rice with the large spatula carefully and sprinkle little garam masala pdr and chopped coriander leaves and cook for 10 mins...

• Transfer the rice on a serving plate and can decorate fried cashewnuts on top ( optional)..

• Serve warm with pickles, raita or any dry chutneys of your choice..I served it with cucumber pachadi ( yogurt mixed with shredded coconut and cucumber),which I will share later..

Preparation of Irachi Chor - Mutton Pulao

     Notes

• Always use the same cup for measuring rice and water..

• You can add rice directly into pressure cooked meat curry along with boiling hot water..Cook for 1 whistle..As I am worried about the rice turning mushy, so I ignored doing this method...