Parsi comfort food at its best, rus chawal varies from almost soup-like (and is hence called soup chawal at times), to richer and thicker with a flavourful gravy called Rus. A simple one-pot dish. For the rice, the mise en place rule is important in this recipe – keep all ingredients ready.
Ingredients
For the Rus (gravy)
- •1 tbsp oil
- •1.5 lb bone-in meat -lamb, mutton or goat
- •1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- •1 tsp crushed ginger
- •1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- •1 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- •1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- •1 tsp salt
- •2 green chillies, slit
- •6 cloves
- •1 black pepercorns
- •1 green cardamom pod, cracked open
- •1 cinnamon stick
- •1 cup fried onion, crushed
- •2 fresh tomatoes, crushed
- •4 cups water
- •2 potatoes, peeled and cut in pieces
For the rice
- •2 cup basmati rice
- •2 tsp jaggery
- •1 tbsp oil
- •2 tbsp crisp fried onions
- •1 cinnamon stick
- •6 cloves
- •6 black peppercorns
- •2 whole green cardamom
- •1 dry bay leaf, (optional)
- •star anise, (optional)
- •black cardamom, (optional)
- •2 tsp salt
- •4 cup water
Preparation
In a pan heat the oil adding the meat to brown all over. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and salt.
Give it a stir and add the green and red chillies, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom and onions. Stir and allow to cook for a minute until the aromas are released.
Now add the tomatoes and water. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Add the potatoes and check the level of water. If you need to add more later make sure its hot, which will allow the cooking to continue. Cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. Check that the meat and potatoes are very tender.
Now its time to start preparing the rice. In a pan melt and caramelise the jaggery until it is dark. Immediately add the oil, onions, whole spices, and salt. The colour of the rice will depend on how dark your caramel is.
Add a cup of water. Add the washed rice and the rest of the water. Bring it to a boil on a high flame. Once the water evaporates and the rice shows through the water keep a watchful eye on the pot for ‘'holes'' to be formed. Lower the flame, tightly cover, and steam the rice for 22 minutes.
Gently fluff the rice with a fork to keep it separated and serve.
Serving
