Beef Kabaliyath

Ingredients (Serves 3 – 4)

1. Beef – 1/2 kg, cubed

2. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder – 1 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Kabsa masala – 1.5 tsp (Store bought or homemade , recipe below)

Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

Maggi chicken or beef bouillon cube – 1/2 cube

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Salt – To taste

Water – 2 tbsp

3. Oil – 2 – 3 tbsp

4. Onion – 2 cups, thinly sliced

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp

5. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Kabsa masala – 2 tsp

Maggi chicken cube – 1/2 of 1

6. Green capsicum – 1/2 small, sliced

Carrot – 1 large, thickly sliced diagonally

7. Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves, chopped – 2 tbsp

Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped

For cooking rice

8. Basmati rice – 1.5 cup (you can use up to 2 cups), soaked in enough water for 30 minutes

9. Green cardamom – 4, cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch, broken, cloves – 4, whole black pepper corns – 1 tsp

Dried lime – 1

Butter or ghee – 2 tsp

10. Kabsa masala – 1/2 tsp

Cilantro – Few sprigs

Green capsicum – 1/2 small, cubed

Green chilies – 4 – 5

To layer

11. Cilantro – 3 tbsp, chopped

Melted butter – 2 tbsp

Kabsa masala – 1 – 2 pinches

Yellow color – Few drops or a pinch of saffron in 1 tbsp hot water

Cucumber – 3 – 4 peeled and cut into thick slices diagonally (optional)

12. Charcoal – 1 (for smoky flavor)

Method

1. Marinate beef pieces with all the ingredients numbered 2. Pressure cook for 4 – 5 whistles until done.

2. Heat 2 – 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add onion, little salt and saute till transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till golden. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and kabsa masala. Cook for a minute on low heat. Add beef pieces along with gravy. Mix well and cook covered for a few minutes until thick. Add sliced capsicum and carrot pieces. Mix well. Cook covered for two minutes. Switch off. Add chopped coriander leaves and 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.

3. . Meanwhile boil water in a vessel adding ingredients numbered 9. Taste-check for salt. The water should be slightly salty. Add drained rice. Cook till rice is 75 % done. When the rice is almost ready to be drained, add 1/2 tsp kabsa masala, 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, juice of 1 lemon, few pieces of cubed capsicum and 4 – 5 green chilies. Cook for 1 -2 minutes. Drain well.

4. To layer – Spread 1 tsp ghee on the bottom of a heavy bottomed vessel. Top it with cooked beef. Spread hot cooked rice on top. Sprinkle chopped cilantro, melted butter, a littke kabsa masala, saffron water and cucumber pieces (optional).  For smoky flavor – Heat a charcoal over flame. Place it inside a small steel bowl set inside the pot and pour a tsp of ghee over it. Immediately cover the pan with an aluminium foil. Cover with a lid and bake it at 350 F for around 8 mts (depending on the cookware you use). If you are using stove-top, keep it on a tawa over low flame for around 8 – 10 mts. Set aside for 15 minutes. Beef Kabaliyath is ready to serve! Serve with raita or salata haara (recipe below).  Enjoy!!

Kabsa Masala Powder Recipe

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp

Black pepper corns – 1.5 tsp

Green cardamom – 4, Black cardamom – 1, cloves – 4, cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch, nutmeg – 1/8 th small

Saffron – A tiny pinch

All spice powder – 1/4 tsp

Bay leaf – 1 small

Grind all the above spices to a powder and use in the recipe. Store the remaining in an air tight container.

Salata Hara (Arabic Tomato Salsa)

Tomato, ripe – 2 medium, chopped

Cilantro – 3 tbsp, chopped

Green chilly – 1 – 2 (mild or medium spicy, you can remove the seeds inside), chopped

Garlic – 1/2 small, chopped

Lemon juice –  2 – 3 tsp or to taste

Cumin powder – 1 pinch

Salt – To taste

Coarse grind all the above ingredients in the large jar of a blender. Taste-check for salt and add more lemon juice, if required.