MILK POLAO

Name: MILK POLAO
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 900 g Fine rice (Use a long-grain variety such as basmati for best results. 1 seer is approximately 900 g.); 1350 ml Pure cow's milk (Use full-fat whole milk. 1.5 seers is approximately 1350 ml.); 675 g Ghee (Clarified butter. 3/4 seer is approximately 675 g. Half a powa (approximately 113 g) of this will be used to brown the meat; the remainder is used in cooking the polao.); 900 g Meat (The original recipe does not specify; lamb or goat on the bone is traditional for this style of polao. Cut into medium pieces. 1 seer is approximately 900 g.); 3 g Cloves (Whole. 1/2 anna weight is approximately 3 g.); 6 g Cinnamon (Whole sticks or pieces. 1 anna weight is approximately 6 g.); 12 g Cardamom (small, green) (1 tola is approximately 12 g. These are the standard small green cardamom pods used whole or lightly crushed.); 8 pods Cardamom, big quality (black cardamom) (8 large black cardamom pods. The seeds will be removed and used to smear the rice; keep the pods separate.); 14.5 g Mace (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1.25 tola is approximately 14.5 g.); 29 g Coriander seeds (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 chhatak is approximately 29 g.); 12 g Cassia leaves (Also known as Indian bay leaves (tej patta). 1 tola is approximately 12 g.); 6 g White pepper (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g.); 6 g Cubebs (Also called tailed pepper or kabab chini. Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g.); 6 g Pepper with cumin seeds (A combined measure of black pepper and cumin seeds. Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g total.); 43 g Raisins (1.5 chhatak is approximately 43 g.); 29 g Pistachios (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g.); 113 g Almonds (1/2 powa is approximately 113 g.); 29 g Sugar (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g.); 113 g Curd (plain yogurt) (Use plain full-fat yogurt. 1/2 powa is approximately 113 g.); 113 ml Condensed milk (1/2 powa is approximately 113 ml. Use sweetened condensed milk as available today.); 29 g Salt (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g. Adjust to taste.); 3 g Saffron (1/4 tola is approximately 3 g. A generous amount — use good-quality saffron strands.); 4050 ml Water (Used for boiling the meat. 4.5 seers is approximately 4050 ml (about 4 litres).); 113 g Ginger (Fresh ginger root. 1/2 powa is approximately 113 g. You will need to extract the juice by grating and squeezing, or blending with a little water.)

A fragrant and richly spiced colonial-era Indian rice dish in which fine rice is soaked in pure cow's milk until fully absorbed, perfumed with saffron and cardamom, then combined with slow-boiled meat browned in ghee with warming whole and ground spices, nuts, raisins, curd, and condensed milk. This is a luxurious one-pot celebration polao rooted in traditional Indian festive cooking.

⏱ Prep: 30m

🍳 Cook: 1h 30m

⏰ Total: 3h 30m

🍽 Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

900 g Fine rice (Use a long-grain variety such as basmati for best results. 1 seer is approximately 900 g.)
1350 ml Pure cow's milk (Use full-fat whole milk. 1.5 seers is approximately 1350 ml.)
675 g Ghee (Clarified butter. 3/4 seer is approximately 675 g. Half a powa (approximately 113 g) of this will be used to brown the meat; the remainder is used in cooking the polao.)
900 g Meat (The original recipe does not specify; lamb or goat on the bone is traditional for this style of polao. Cut into medium pieces. 1 seer is approximately 900 g.)
3 g Cloves (Whole. 1/2 anna weight is approximately 3 g.)
6 g Cinnamon (Whole sticks or pieces. 1 anna weight is approximately 6 g.)
12 g Cardamom (small, green) (1 tola is approximately 12 g. These are the standard small green cardamom pods used whole or lightly crushed.)
8 pods Cardamom, big quality (black cardamom) (8 large black cardamom pods. The seeds will be removed and used to smear the rice; keep the pods separate.)
14.5 g Mace (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1.25 tola is approximately 14.5 g.)
29 g Coriander seeds (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 chhatak is approximately 29 g.)
12 g Cassia leaves (Also known as Indian bay leaves (tej patta). 1 tola is approximately 12 g.)
6 g White pepper (Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g.)
6 g Cubebs (Also called tailed pepper or kabab chini. Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g.)
6 g Pepper with cumin seeds (A combined measure of black pepper and cumin seeds. Powdered or pasted for mixing with the meat. 1/2 tola is approximately 6 g total.)
43 g Raisins (1.5 chhatak is approximately 43 g.)
29 g Pistachios (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g.)
113 g Almonds (1/2 powa is approximately 113 g.)
29 g Sugar (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g.)
113 g Curd (plain yogurt) (Use plain full-fat yogurt. 1/2 powa is approximately 113 g.)
113 ml Condensed milk (1/2 powa is approximately 113 ml. Use sweetened condensed milk as available today.)
29 g Salt (1 chhatak is approximately 29 g. Adjust to taste.)
3 g Saffron (1/4 tola is approximately 3 g. A generous amount — use good-quality saffron strands.)
4050 ml Water (Used for boiling the meat. 4.5 seers is approximately 4050 ml (about 4 litres).)
113 g Ginger (Fresh ginger root. 1/2 powa is approximately 113 g. You will need to extract the juice by grating and squeezing, or blending with a little water.)

Instructions

1Place the fine rice (approximately 900 g) in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and swish the rice around with your hand. Carefully pour off the cloudy water. Repeat this rinsing 2–3 times until the water runs mostly clear. Spread the washed rice out in a single layer on a clean dry tray or large plate and leave it to air-dry for about 15–20 minutes until the surface moisture has evaporated. The rice should feel dry to the touch but not be fully dehydrated.
2Transfer the dried rice into a large deep bowl or pot. Pour all of the pure cow's milk (approximately 1350 ml) over the rice. Stir gently to ensure all the rice is submerged. Leave the rice to soak and absorb the milk for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring once or twice during this time. The rice should swell noticeably and absorb most of the milk.
3Lay a large piece of clean muslin cloth or a clean thin kitchen cloth over a colander set above a bowl or the sink. Carefully pour the milk-soaked rice into the centre of the cloth. Gather the four corners of the cloth and tie them loosely together to form a bundle — do not press or squeeze the rice. Hang the bundle over the sink or a bowl and allow the excess milk to drip off naturally. Wait until the dripping slows to a stop; this will take approximately 15–20 minutes.
4Once the dripping has completely ceased, open the cloth and spread the swelled rice out in a single even layer on a clean tray or large plate. Leave the rice to air-dry at room temperature until the surface moisture on each grain has evaporated and the grains feel just dry to the touch on the outside. This will take approximately 15–20 minutes depending on the ambient temperature and humidity. Do not place in direct sunlight or use heat — natural air-drying is required.
5Peel the fresh ginger (approximately 113 g) and grate it finely or chop it roughly. Place the grated ginger in a piece of clean cloth or a fine sieve and squeeze firmly to extract the juice. Collect the ginger juice in a small bowl. Open the pods of the 8 large black cardamoms and remove all the seeds; discard the husks or reserve for another use. Dissolve the saffron (approximately 3 g) in a tablespoon of warm water and mix it into the ginger juice. Add the black cardamom seeds to this mixture. Drizzle the ginger-saffron-cardamom mixture over the air-dried rice and gently toss to coat all the grains evenly. If the mixture seems too thick or the rice is not being evenly coated, add a little water — a teaspoon at a time — as noted in the original recipe. Set the coated rice aside.
6This step can be carried out simultaneously with steps 2–4 to save time. Place the meat pieces (approximately 900 g) in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in approximately 4050 ml (4 litres) of water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Allow the meat to boil and simmer, uncovered, until the water reduces to less than half its original volume — approximately 2000 ml or less remaining. This will take approximately 45–60 minutes of simmering. Skim any foam from the surface as it appears. The meat should be mostly cooked through and the liquid well reduced and flavourful.
7First, make a powder or paste from the mace (approximately 14.5 g), coriander seeds (approximately 29 g), white pepper (approximately 6 g), cubebs (approximately 6 g), and the pepper with cumin seeds (approximately 6 g). You can use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine powder, or add a very small splash of water to form a thick paste. Once the meat has finished boiling and the liquid has reduced, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the meat pieces from the pot and set them aside; reserve the reduced cooking liquid. Heat approximately 113 g (1/2 powa) of the ghee in a wide heavy-bottomed pan or kadai over medium-high heat. Add the meat pieces to the hot ghee. Spoon the spice powder or paste over the meat and toss to coat thoroughly. Fry and stir the meat in the ghee over medium-high heat, turning frequently, until the meat is browned all over and the spices are fragrant and cooked into the meat — approximately 10–15 minutes. Reduce the heat if the spices begin to catch on the bottom of the pan.