A royal Awadhi rice preparation featuring tender bone-in mutton, fragrant whole spices, and delicately flavoured basmati rice.
Lucknowi Mutton Pulao is a traditional-style dish that combines succulent mutton with long-grain basmati rice, gently cooked to absorb the rich flavours of the meat and aromatic spices. Onions, ginger, garlic, and ghee form the base, while green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cumin create a delicate fragrance.
Yogurt adds richness to the mutton as it cooks, helping develop a savoury base for the rice. The mutton is simmered until tender, and its aromatic stock is reserved for cooking the rice. Layered with the cooked mutton and finished with fried onions and fresh coriander, this dish offers a comforting yet elegant centrepiece for family meals and special occasions.
Ingredients
750 g basmati rice (4 cups), soaked for 30 minutes
1 kg bone-in mutton
2 tbsp ghee
2 onions, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup yogurt
4 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pod
6 cloves
Cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
Salt, to taste
Water, for simmering the mutton
5½ cups mutton stock
½ cup fried onions
Fresh coriander, for garnish
Method
Prepare the Rice: Wash the basmati rice thoroughly and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Brown the Mutton: Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the mutton, sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cumin. Brown the mutton gently, allowing the onions and spices to release their flavours.
Add Yogurt and Simmer: Stir in the yogurt and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add water as needed, cover, and simmer for 45–60 minutes, or until the mutton becomes tender.
Prepare the Stock: Remove the cooked mutton and strain the cooking liquid. Measure and reserve 5½ cups of aromatic mutton stock for cooking the rice.
Cook the Rice: Add the drained rice to the reserved stock and cook until it begins to absorb the liquid. Place the cooked mutton over the rice, cover the pot, and cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
Rest and Garnish: Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Gently fluff the rice and garnish with fried onions and fresh coriander before serving.
Serve
Serve hot with boondi raita, mint chutney, onion salad, and lemon wedges. The cooling raita and fresh accompaniments complement the aromatic spices and rich flavour of the mutton pulao.