There is something about the simplicity of cooking Afghani and Iranian cuisine. I like how they are not big on side ingredients and masalas. The flavour is achieved by maintaining meat as the hero of the dish.
I love Kabuli Pulao for its authenticity and rich meat flavour. Over time, I have developed this recipe to cook Kabuli Pulao in roughly thirty minutes.
The taste turns out rich, just like the slow-cooked version. And nothing can go wrong when you add a bit of colour and shine with garnishes like carrots, almonds, and raisins. The authentic dish has black raisins, but you can use the regular ones too.
Take a few minutes to read the recipe because to cook it in thirty minutes, there are a few other stove operations underway simultaneously.
Things You Will Need for Kabuli Pulao
- Rice – 3 cups
- Mutton – 0.75 Kilograms
- Oil – half cup
- Brown Onion – 6 tablespoons
- Garlic paste – 2 tablespoons
- Salt – 2 teaspoons
- Pulao masala – 6 tablespoons
Pulao Masala
- Green cardamom – 8
- Black cardamom – 6
- Cloves – 6
- Black peppercorn – 1 teaspoon
- Cumin seeds – 1 tablespoon
Take these spices and grind them into fine powder. Store in a jar for later use.
For Garnish
- Ghee – 1 tablespoon
- Almonds – soaked for half-hour, peel the skin
- Raisins – handful
- Carrots – julienned, one cup
- Sugar – 1 teaspoon
How to Cook Kabuli Pulao in Thirty Minutes
- First, turn on the instant pot in sauté mode. Put some oil and add brown onions when the oil has changed temperature.
- Add garlic, and sauté for a bit. Add mutton, salt, and 2 tablespoons of pulao masala. Stir fry for two more minutes.
- Now, add three cups of water to the pot and turn on the pressure mode for twenty minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, we will manage other aspects for quick results. Soak the rice until the meat is cooking, and heat the pan to fry the garnishes.
- I prefer to use ghee to get the shine and flavour. You can also use oil or butter as you see fit. Fry the almonds and raisins, drizzle some sugar, and continue frying for a couple of seconds. When you see the raisins start changing shape, take them out of the frying pan.
- Next, add some ghee (butter or oil), and fry the carrots. Drizzle some sugar, and take them out of the pan after a minute.
- When the meat has cooked, release the pressure from IP. The pot would have some mutton yakhni (flavoured meat water). This would suffice to cook rice.
- Transfer the rice, and add the remaining pulao masala. Water should be slightly above the rice and meat. Now set the Instant Pot on Pressure Cook Mode for 5 minutes.
- Once the five minutes are done, release the heat. Serve the pulao in a tray, sprinkle the carrots, almonds, and raisins on the pulao.
Takeaway
Kabuli Pulao was always a slow-cook recipe, but when I cooked in IP once, I found the two variations didn’t have a massive difference.
The taste and aroma immensely doubles when the meat is tender. Instant Pot takes care of that aspect mighty fine.
I love eating this Kabuli Pulao with the side of raita and the side of a hearty salad bowl.
