Beef Mandi

1. Wash the beef, cut into large pieces and season lightly with salt and turmeric.
2. Heat ghee or oil in a large pot and saute the sliced onions until light golden.
3. Stir in the garlic, green chillies and tomato and cook until softened.
4. Add the mandi spice mix: coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves.
5. Add the beef and stir over medium heat until it is well coated in the spices.
6. Pour in water or beef stock, cover and simmer until the beef is tender, around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the cut.
7. Lift out the beef and set it aside, then strain and measure the broth.
8. Add washed, soaked basmati rice to the broth (roughly 1 cup rice to 1.5 to 2 cups liquid), check the seasoning and bring to the boil.
9. Lower the heat, cover and cook the rice until fluffy.
10. Sit the beef over the rice and steam on low heat for 10 minutes so the flavours come together.
11. For an optional smoky note, set a small piece of hot charcoal on foil in the pot, add 1 tsp butter or oil, cover at once for 5 minutes, then remove the coal.
12. Fluff the rice and serve the beef mandi with salad or chutney.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Cook the rice in the strained beef broth rather than plain water so each grain carries the spice.
• Aim for roughly 1 cup rice to 1.5 to 2 cups broth; get that ratio right and the grains stay separate and fluffy.
• The dhungar charcoal step is optional, but it is what gives mandi its distinctive smokiness.
• Let the beef sit and steam over the cooked rice so the two flavours settle into each other.