Majida Rashid
Soon after moving to Bahrain in the 1980s, I entered a cooking competition that was organized by the Hilton Hotel in collaboration with the Gulf Daily News (GDN). After more than a month, the Hilton representative informed me that my entry along with five other entrants was selected to participate. We were to cook a full course meal — starter, entrée and a dessert — in the Hilton kitchen. I couldn’t have been happier. This was my first participation in a cooking competition.
On the day of the competition, we arrived at the hotel in the morning and finished cooking in the late afternoon. While I wanted to win, I was not sure if I would ever get anything because a couple of the competitors were seasoned cooks. I was eager but nervous.
The next morning, the GDN representative telephoned me to say that I had won the title of “Bahrain’s Best Amateur Chef.” I started jumping up and down after putting the phone down. That competition catapulted my cooking career and helped me spread my wings. Over the years, I have worked in other industries, but cooking remains my passion to this day.
This pilau is one of the winning entrées that I cooked on the day of the competition. It’s a combination of Iranian and Pakistani rice dishes. Enjoy!
Crusted Saffron Pilau
Ingredients
2 teaspoons saffron strands
1/2 cup milk
4 cups basmati rice
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder cut into small bits
1 pound lamb ribs cut into small pieces
3/4 pound unsalted butter
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
8-10 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
2 1-inch-long cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 fresh mild chilies, optional
4-5 cups yogurt
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
Directions
Gently warm the saffron over very low heat.
While the saffron is cooling, warm the milk. When the saffron is cool, crush it with the back of a spoon and sprinkle it over the milk. Stir and leave to the side.
Wash and soak the rice in slightly salted warm water.
Wash the meat and let it drain in a colander.
Melt half of the butter and fry the sliced onions over low heat until golden brown.
Transfer the onions onto a paper towel.
Strain the butter and clean the pot.
Heat the strained butter in a nonstick pan and add the meat.
Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices are dried and the meat turns brown.
Leave aside 3 cardamoms, 6 cloves and all the pepper corns and cinnamon sticks.
Grind together the remaining cardamoms, cloves, garlic, ginger, browned onions and chilies.
Mix it with the yogurt and add to the meat.
Cook, over medium heat until the yogurt is dried.
Lower the heat and add the chopped coriander and mint and salt and cook, stirring occasionally.
Fill another pan with enough water so the rice is covered during cooking.
Make a pouch of the reserved cardamoms, cloves and pepper corns and cinnamon sticks.
Add the spice pouch to the water and boil it for a few minutes.
Drain the rice and add to the boiling water.
Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes.
After 3 minutes of boiling take a few rice grains and press them between the thumb and fingers. The rice is ready when the grains break into 3 pieces.
Drain the rice in a tightly knit mesh strainer so the rice doesn’t pass through.
Rinse the saucepan and add 1 cup water and the remaining butter.
Bring to a boil, covered, for 1 minute.
Remove 1/2 cup of the liquid.
Lower the heat to medium high and put a layer of rice over the boiling water.
Place the cooked meat on the top and cover with the remaining rice.
Make three small holes in the rice and to pour the milk-saffron liquid into.
Sprinkle with the reserved liquid.
Rinse a kitchen towel in hot water and use it to line the inside of the lid.
Cover the pan and cook over medium high heat until steam starts coming out from the towel around the lid.
Lower the heat and cook for an hour.
Let the pan stand on a cool surface for 15 minutes.
Before serving:
Put a platter large enough to cover the top of the saucepan.
Turn it upside down so the rice-crust from the bottom of the pan is on the top of the platter.
Serve hot with salad.
Serves 4-6
Note: if the crust is not hard then cook the rice a little more.
—————
Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her presentation about her love of food can be viewed on USA Today’s network: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0xi566VSPo – We Spread Love Through Food @Frontiers_Of_Flavor.. Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com.
