Moti Pilau (pilau Rice With Meatballs)

We will never get anywhere in life without discipline, be it in the arts, business, athletics, or academics. This is doubly so in spiritual matters. In other areas we may be able to claim some innate advantage. An athlete may be born with a strong body, a musician with perfect pitch, or an artist with an eye for perspective. But none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage. In reality, we are all equally disadvantaged. None of us naturally seeks after God, none is inherently righteous, none instinctively does good (cf. Romans 3:9-18). Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything – everything! I repeat…discipline is everything!

Kent Hughes

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats, Grains, Dairy		Spice, The, Trail	4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

400	g	Basmati rice
450	g	Lean minced lamb
2	T	Spring onions, finely
		chopped
		white part only
2	t	Minced or pureed fresh
		ginger
1	t	Minced or pureed garlic
2	T	Coriander leaves, finely
1	T	Finely chopped fresh mint
		leaves or
		1/2tsp dried mint
2		Green chillies, seeded and
		finely
1 1/2	t	Garam masala
1	T	Double cream
175	g	Whole milk natural yoghurt
75	g	Unsalted butter or ghee
25	g	Fresh white breadcrumbs
2 1/2	t	Salt or to taste
12		Green cardamom pods, bruised
8		Cloves
2		2 inch piece cinnamon stick
1/2	t	Chilli powder
1		Onion, halved then finely
		sliced
1	pn	Saffron strands, pounded and
		infused
		in 1tbsp hot milk
1	T	Rose water
2		Sheets varak, 2 to 3
		Fresh rose petals

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the rice and soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then leave to
drain in a colander.  Put the minced lamb in a large mixing bowl and
add the ingredients up  to and including the cream. Mix thoroughly,
then add 1tbsp each of  the yoghurt and butter or ghee, reserving the
rest for later. Now add  the breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon of salt. Knead
the mixture well until  smooth, then pinch off small pieces to make
koftas (meatballs), about  the size of a marble. Rotate each one
quickly between your palms to  make them smooth.  Whisk the remaining
yoghurt with 300ml water and set aside.  In a non-stick saucepan, melt
11/2 tablespoons of the reserved butter  and fry the meatballs in 2-3
batches, until they are browned. Shake  the pan from side to side to
encourage even browning. Remove them  with a slotted spoon and set
aside.  Reduce the heat to low and in the same fat fry half the
quantity of  the whole spices (reserve the rest) for 1 minute, then add
the  diluted yoghurt, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the chilli powder.
Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the meatballs with a  slotted
spoon and wrap them up in foil to keep hot. Strain the stick  and add
enough water to make it up to 850ml and reserve.  In a heavy based
saucepan, melt the remaining ghee or butter over a  low heat. Add the
reserved whole spices and fry gently for 1 minute.  Add the onions and
fry until they are lightly browned (7-8 minutes)  then add the rice and
the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Fry the rice  for 2-3 minutes and add
the stock. Bring it to the boil, reduce the  heat to low and cover the
pan tightly. Cook for 10 minutes then  sprinkle the saffron and milk
and the rose water over the top. Cover  the pan again and let it stand
for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, roll some of the meatballs (one at a time)
in the silver  paper. If using silver dust, simply remove half the
meatballs to a  plate and sprinkle enough silver dust to give the
meatballs a good  coating.  Spread half the pilau rice in a serving
dish and arrange the plain  meatballs on top. Cover with the remaining
pilau rice and arrange the  silver coated meatballs on top. Garnish
with the fresh rose petals and  serve with a raita.  Converted by
MC_Buster.  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

A Message from our Provider:

“In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma–but never let him be the period.”