Image source: Emirates 24/7

NOORMEHALI PULAO

SERVES: 8 PREPARATION

TIME: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS
Basmati rice (long-grained and old) ½ kg, soaked in water for 45 minutes
Paneer (cottage cheese) 1 cup, grated
Water/Chicken stock 2 cups
Thick cream 2 tbsp
Onion ½ cup, finely chopped
White onion 1 small
Besan (gram flour) 3 tbsp
Hari mirch (green chilli) 2 deseeded and finely chopped
Hara dhania (coriander leaves) 3 tbsp, finely chopped
Adhrak (ginger) paste 2 tsp
Tejpatta (bay leaf) 2 leaves
Dalchini (cinnamon) 3 sticks, 1-inch long
Laung (clove) 6 cloves
Hari elaichi (green cardamom) 8 pods
Sabut kaali mirch (black peppercorns) 10 peppercorns
Shahi jeera (black cumin) seeds 1 tsp
Javitri (mace) powder 1 tsp
Garam masala (ground spices) 3 tsp
Kesar (saffron) 4–5 strands, soaked in 1 tsp warmed
milk
Chandi ka varq (silver leaves) 4 leaves
Desi ghee 4 tbsp
Vegetable oil 2 cups, for frying
Cornflour 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tbsp or to taste

METHOD
This pulao can be made with paneer koftas or minced meat koftas.
Heat the desi ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cloves, black cumin seeds, green cardamoms and black peppercorns. On a medium flame, sauté the spices until they begin to sputter. Then add the chopped onions with the mace powder and sauté. Add the ginger paste and 1 teaspoon garam masala and cook for 30–40 seconds.
On a medium flame, add the soaked rice and cook for 4–5 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the water or the chicken stock, Bring this mixture to a boil. Add the salt and lower the flame. Cover the pan and continue to cook the rice until the liquid has been absorbed. Ensure that the rice is not overcooked.
Mix the paneer with 2 tablespoons of thick cream, besan, white onion, 2 green chillies, freshly chopped coriander leaves and season it with 2 teaspoons of garam masala and 1 teaspoon of salt. Divide this mixture into two portions. Mix one portion with the saffron dissolved in milk and keep the second portion without the saffron colour.
Separately, make small kofta-sized balls from the two mixtures. Then roll them in 2 tablespoons of cornflour to maintain their shape while frying. Deep-fry the paneer koftas in hot oil. These koftas are called Noormehals.
Transfer the pulao to a large serving platter. Gild the Noormehali koftas with the chandi ka varq (silver leaves) and place them on top of the pulao. Serve hot.
Note: For the non-vegetarian version, prepare the pulao as above with the minced meat koftas.

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