Here’s a simple and flavorful Beef Pulao recipe that you can try at home. This Pakistani/Indian-style dish features tender beef, fragrant rice, and aromatic spices.
🍛 Beef Pulao Recipe
🕒 Prep Time: 15 mins
🍲 Cook Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
🍽️ Servings: 4-6
📝 Ingredients
For the Beef Stock (Yakhni):
- Beef (with bones) – 500g
- Onion – 1 (sliced)
- Garlic – 6-8 cloves
- Ginger – 1-inch piece
- Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
- Cloves – 4-5
- Cinnamon stick – 1
- Green cardamoms – 3-4
- Bay leaf – 1
- Salt – 1.5 tsp
- Water – 4-5 cups
For the Pulao:
- Basmati rice – 2 cups (soaked for 30 minutes)
- Onion – 2 large (thinly sliced)
- Tomato – 1 (optional, chopped)
- Green chilies – 2 (slit)
- Yogurt – 3 tbsp
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
- Black pepper – ½ tsp (ground)
- Cooking oil or ghee – ½ cup
- Salt – to taste
- Fresh coriander & mint – for garnish
- Fried onions (optional) – for garnish
🔪 Instructions
1. Make the Beef Yakhni (Stock):
- In a large pot, add beef, onion, garlic, ginger, whole spices, salt, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until beef is tender.
- Strain the stock and set aside. Keep the cooked beef pieces separately.
2. Prepare the Pulao Base:
- In a large pot, heat oil/ghee and add sliced onions.
- Fry until golden brown.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add beef pieces and cook for 5-7 minutes until nicely browned.
- Add yogurt, green chilies, tomato (if using), and spices (garam masala, cumin seeds, ground black pepper).
- Cook until oil separates (bhunai process).
3. Add Stock and Rice:
- Measure the beef stock – you’ll need about 3.5 to 4 cups of liquid for 2 cups of rice.
- Add the stock to the beef mixture and bring to a boil.
- Add soaked and drained rice.
- Adjust salt as needed.
- Cook on medium-high heat until most of the water is absorbed.
4. Dum (Steam Cooking):
- Lower the heat to the lowest setting.
- Cover the pot tightly with a lid (you can place a towel under the lid for a tighter seal).
- Let it cook (dum) for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn off heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before opening.
🌿 Garnish & Serve
- Gently fluff the rice.
- Garnish with fresh coriander, mint, and optional fried onions.
- Serve hot with raita, salad, or chutney.
Let me know if you want a pressure cooker version or want to adjust spice levels.