Morel ka Pulao

Ingredients

• 8 gucchi (morel, big size)

• 2 tbsp hung yogurt cheese

• 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds

• 1 tbsp shahi jeera

• 145 g Basmati rice

• 3 tbsp desi ghee

• 2 cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 green cardamoms

• 2 tbsp cream

• 2 tbsp beaten curd

• salt to taste

• 1 tsp yellow chilli powder

• a pinch of cardamom powder

• a pinch of mace powder

• 6 mint leaves

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For garnish                                    

• 3 mint leaves

• 1 split green chilli

• 1 tsp ginger julienne

• 1 tsp brown onion      

Method

For the gucchi

Soak the gucchi in water for 20 to 25 minutes. Wash it thoroughly in running water thereafter.

Boil the gucchi and retain

the water.

Stuff the gucchi with a mixture of hung yogurt, pomegranate seeds and shahi jeera.

Heat the ghee (30 g) in a pan, add yellow chilli powder and beaten curd. Bhuno the curd for a while, then add cream (20 ml) to the pan, and cook.

Add gucchi to the pan and simmer for a while.

Now put mace, cardamom powder to the pan. Mix and remove the gucchi. Add retained gucchi water to the reduced cream mixture. Reduce the same.

Finish with lemon juice (3 ml).

For the rice

Wash and soak aged Basmati rice for an hour. Boil water in a pan and add the whole spices, salt (30 g) and lemon juice (10 ml) .

Add the rice and cook till 2/3rd done. and drain.

For cooking on dum

Layer the gucchi with the boiled rice in a handi. Add a mixture of ghee (15 g), reduced cream and morel mixture on top of the rice.

Garnish with mint leaves, ginger juliennes and brown onions.

Serve with anar raita.

A wedding dinner on the verdant lawns of a New Delhi bungalow comprised of rich North Indian cuisine and a Guyanese dish, too. Gautam Anand, former VP of ITC Hotels, shares this heritage recipe with you