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Murg gatta pulav is ideal for times when a single person is fixing a meal or enriching the spread to entertain an unexpected guest
Many years ago, during a trip to Rajasthan, the cradle of chivalry and land of resplendent royals, we tasted a dish called gatte ka pulav. Our host, a vegetarian, was keen to show off that the shakahari repertoire matched delicacy by delicacy what the carnivore’s menu has to offer — kebab, biryani-pulav, qorma etc. Now don’t get us wrong, we don’t dispute the claim and to be honest, quite love the traditional gatte ki subzee but were only under-whelmed by the offering. The gatta had lost their succulence and spicy flavour and looked like soya nuggets miserably out of shape and didn’t quite gel with the artificially coloured rice. We made polite appreciative noises but filled the belly with other things. However, the idea of a gatta pulav stayed with us teasing and tempting us to try out a non-vegetarian version. The opportunity presented itself recently when we stumbled upon a packet of chicken seekh kebab. These were heat-and-ready-to-eat variety from the reliable Republic of Chicken but you are welcome to make use of what you prefer. Everybody loved the pulav, especially the reluctant-to-eat a nourishing meal kids just back from school, but we were also accused of taking short cuts and even cheating. We just can’t understand what is the fuss all about. There is nothing wrong in using convenient off-the-shelf ingredients in everyday cooking that save time, eliminate drudgery and contribute to the joy of cooking and eating. We are now die-hard converts to such ‘hybrid’ cooking and implore our beloved readers to try out this recipe. Ideal for times when a single person is fixing a meal or enriching the spread to entertain an unexpected guest. Kids soon get addicted to this novelty. Need we add that with a salad, it guarantees a beautifully balanced meal? Murg gatta pulav
Chicken seekh kebab 250gm Rice 100 gm Bay leaf one Cloves two Cardamom (brown) one Cinnamon 1 inch piece Peppercorns ¼ tsp Oil 1 tsp Whole red chillies to garnish (fried a little to add glaze) two A pinch of haldi (optional) Salt to taste Method Pick and wash the rice. Soak for 15 minutes. Then drain and spread to dry. Line a non-stick pan with a film of oil and brown the seekh kebabs. Remove and cut and cut into gatta. Put oil in a pan and when hot, add the whole spices. When these begin to change colour, add rice and water, along with haldi (if using) and salt. Bring to boil, reduce flame to medium, cover and cook and when almost done, add the murg seekh kebab gatta. Gently stir to mix. Garnish with red chillies and serve.
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Ingredients