AAROZ(S) with Chouriss Maas

I was 4 when we left Dubai to be schooled in Goa. I remember attending ceremonies in my neighbourhood, sitting outdoors in the shade of 'Mattou' anxiously waiting for the endless Ladin to end! so I cud get that small but delicious serving of 'Aross' topped with 'Chouriss mass' in a tiny paper plate. I sound greedy, don't I? I was!... but only greedy for awesomeness.
Of course those were days when caterers weren't there cook up and present a fancy Goan feast with Ice sculptures & Vegetable carvings to feed our eyes. There would be ONE leading 'Maan' (big sister) who'd cook up every dish to perfection in their home. Being the good girl that I was, I voluntarily joined the service snake line of girls that started collecting Arozs plates from the kitchen till it was passed onto the hands of all guests. The reward was getting offered 2 of those tiny paper plates to die for.
Of course this dish is commonly known as Pulao in India. The Portuguese influenced community in Goa rightfully calls it Aaroz AKA Rice.
Here's drawing from my memory...


INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Basmati Rice

12 Peppercorns

8 Cloves

2" Cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tbs Vegetable oil OR 1 tbs clarified butter

1 large Onion

1 Tomato

4 cups Beef OR Chicken Stalk 

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Of course you may use your can't-do-without 'Maggie cubes' for the Aaros. In truth, its the fat content in freshly cooked meat stalk that brought out the robust flavours to this rice. I use my 'curry pieces' of meats to boil in water and freeze the stalks whenever I get extra meat leftovers.

So lets get cooking,.. put your Rice pot on low fire with oil. Toss in the Cinnamon, peppercorns and Cloves to heated oil so that the spices release their goodness. Do not burn. Add diced Onion to fry until soft and caramelised. Here's when you add Tomato, Turmeric Powder and 2 tsp salt. Fry until the Tomatoes are soften completely cooked down. Pour in the 4 cups of stalk. In case of using seasoning cubes, simply add 4 cups of plain water. Increase heat, bring broth to a boil. Taste your broth for saltiness/ seasoning. Keeping your broth slightly salty will be good to cook your rice in.

Wash Rice off the excess starch while broth comes to boil.

Add rice to the Broth and stir the rice to loosen it keeping it from sticking to your pot or even clumping. Let the Rice cook on high heat until 3/4th water content is absorbed.

Once so, simply give final stir to rice, reduce heat to low, close lid. Let rice cook in its steam. 5mins.

what do I do to be sure my rice is cooked??.. I 'listen' to my rice pot for bubbling sounds(there shouldn't be any!) instead of lifting the pot lid. Funny huh?... it works for me !  I then give my rice pot a fluff shake instead of using a spatula to stir the rice in it. Just because I don't want to let that steam out.

Tip: Add 1/4 tsp lime juice while rice is boiling to get fluffy rice.

 Here's the recipe for theAaroz(s) favorite  Add On CHOURISS MAAS