The Assamese cuisine will be incomplete if we don’t include the food culture of the Assamese Muslim community as a part of another indigenous inhabitant. The preparation is as simple as any other Assamese food, yet moderately spiced that makes it distinctive and relished by everyone. So, today I am going to share a very familiar item that you will always find during any special occasion or festival in every Assamese Muslim household. The Bhuna and Pulao- bhuna is a slow-cooked meat dish coated with mild spices, usually prepared with beef, mutton or country chicken. Pulao is a rice dish prepared with Jeera Rice (Joha Rice) along with some handpicked aromatics and dry fruits that tempts the taste-buds with long-lasting flavours. Here is my version of it!

Ingredients: 

Meat: 700 gm approx (Choice of meat- beef/mutton/country chicken)
Onions: 2 large-sized chopped
Ginger: 2 inches sized 
Garlic: 10-15 cloves
Dry red chillies: 6-7
Bay leaves 2-3
Cinnamon stick: 1-2 inches
Cloves: 4-5
Black pepper: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 2-3 teaspoons
Curry powder: 2-3 teaspoons 
Salt: As per taste
Mustard oil: Half a cup

Preparation: 45 minutes to an hour. Serves 4-5 persons. 

Step 1: Prepare the wet and dry spices. Take ginger, garlic and dry red chillies in a grinder and make a fine paste out of it. Next, grind the cinnamon, cloves and black pepper in a mortar coarsely. Keep the spices aside.

Step 2: I used a pressure cooker to save time or, it can be prepared in any regular utensil which might take more than an hour to cook. First, heat the cooker and add oil into it. Add chopped onions and bay leaves, fry it until the onion becomes translucent and golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and red chilli paste and saute for about 2 minutes.

Step 3: In small bowl mix turmeric powder, curry powder and salt, add 3-4 tablespoons of water into it and mix it well. I used my homemade curry powder, a mixture of cumin, coriander, fennel seeds and dry red chillies. Now add this mixture into the cooker, stir and mix all the spices. Add a little water if it starts burning at the bottom. Fry the spices until the raw smell is gone and the oil gets separated from it.

Step 4: At this stage add the meat and mix it well with the spice. Add the grounded cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. Keep stirring the meat in medium flame. Cover it for 10 minutes without locking the lid of the cooker, occasionally keep stirring. After 10 minutes add water (about 300-400 ml) covering the meat and close it for cooking. Pressure cook the meat for 15-20 minutes in medium to low flame.

Step 5: Turn the gas off after 15-20 minutes and let the steam go out on its own which might about 5-10 minutes. Once the steam is out open the lid and put it on the gas again. Simmer it for another 15-20 minutes in medium to low flame to reduce the excess water to get a thick gravy. Turn the gas off once done and it will be ready to serve.

Assamese style pulao in 4 simple steps: In Assam, pulao is made only with Joha Rice (Jeera Rice) traditionally. Now some people use other basmati rice but for the authentic taste prefer only Joha or Jeera Rice which is easily available in all grocery stores. This below preparation is for 4 people. Here are the steps to make pulao in Assamese style-

  Enjoy this traditional preparation of bhuna and pulao along with some fresh salads.