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Bannu pulao
بنوں پلاؤ (Bannu pulao): beef pulao steamed in a rich bone-marrow stock and crowned with big pieces of meat
Bannu, a town in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has given its name to one of Pakistan's richest rice dishes, now sold by pulao houses across Peshawar, Islamabad and Karachi with the town's name painted proudly over the door. Its secret is the stock: beef and marrow bones simmered for hours until the liquid turns cloudy and gelatinous, then used to cook long-grain rice so every grain is glossy with beef fat. The rice is served piled up with fist-sized pieces of boiled beef on top, alongside raita and a fresh chilli-tomato salad, at weddings and Friday lunches. Watery rice is the common failure, because the stock is not reduced enough; it must be concentrated, almost like gravy. Chef's tip: let the stock cool and lift off some of the fat, then fry the onions in that fat, so nothing is wasted and the rice tastes of beef throughout.
- Total time
- 190 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the stock and meat
- 2 ⅝ lb beef shin or brisket on the bonecut into large pieces
- 1 ⅛ lb beef marrow bones
- 12 ½ cups water
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 bulb garlichalved across
- 5 cm piece fresh gingersliced
- 1 set whole spices2 black cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick, 8 cloves, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp salt
For the rice
- 2 onionsfinely sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 green chilliesslit
- 1 ⅓ lb sella or long-grain basmati ricewashed and soaked 30 minutes
- 1 tsp garam masala
To serve
- 10 ½ oz raita (optional)
- 1 plate sliced tomato, onion and green chilli (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb beef shin or brisket on the bone, 1 ⅛ lb beef marrow bones, 12 ½ cups water, 1 onion, 1 bulb garlic, 5 cm piece fresh ginger, 1 set whole spices and 1 tbsp salt in a large pot and bring to the boil, skimming off the grey foam.
5 minStep 2: Cover partly and simmer over a low heat for 2 1/2 hours (or 50 minutes in a pressure cooker) until the beef is very tender and the stock has reduced to about 1.2 litres and turned cloudy and rich.
150 minStep 3: Lift out the meat and keep it warm, covered. Scrape the marrow out of the bones into the stock, then strain the stock and skim off a few spoonfuls of fat to use for frying.
5 minStep 4: Heat 6 tbsp beef fat from the stock or vegetable oil in a wide heavy pot over a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and fry 2 onions for 8–10 minutes until deep golden.
10 minStep 5: Add 4 green chillies and 900 ml of the hot stock and bring to the boil. Taste: it should be well salted.
2 minStep 6: Drain 1 ⅓ lb sella or long-grain basmati rice, add it to the boiling stock and cook uncovered over a medium-high heat for 7–8 minutes until the stock has dropped below the rice and the surface is pitted with small holes.
8 minStep 7: Lay the meat on top of the rice, sprinkle with 1 tsp garam masala and drizzle over 3–4 tbsp of the remaining stock. Cover tightly and steam over the lowest heat for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and glossy.
20 minStep 8: Pile the rice onto a platter with the beef on top and serve with 10 ½ oz raita and 1 plate sliced tomato, onion and green chilli.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does bannu pulao take?
- About 190 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 170 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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