Lamb Comforting Main Indian

Helly Raichura’s Kashmiri lamb pulao with radish and walnut raita

Name: Helly Raichura’s Kashmiri lamb pulao with radish and walnut raita recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 125 min
Total time: 155 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: /indian
Ingredients: 1.5kg lamb shoulder, cut into 4-5cm chunks; 120g garlic; 70g ginger; 680g basmati rice; 500ml mustard oil; 6 large eschalots, thinly sliced; 60g fennel seeds; 30.00 ml cumin seeds; 20 black cardamom pods; 15 green cardamom pods; 3 cassia bark sticks; 6 cloves; 80g ghee; 250.00 ml nuts (we used cashews; 85g raisins; 840g yoghurt; 10 walnuts, toasted, finely chopped; 2 green bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped; 1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and finely chopped; 1 1/2 bunches breakfast radish (from specialty grocers, substitute regular radish), cut into matchsticks; 4-5 sprigs coriander, leaves and stems finely chopped; 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, coarsely crushed; Juice of 1/2 lemon

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Helly Raichura’s Kashmiri lamb pulao with radish and walnut raita — Brett Stevens

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by Helly Raichura

CHEF

Jun 19, 2026

“I have a perfect recipe for the winter season. It originates from Kashmir, one of the coldest snow-clad mountain regions in India. The dish is wazwan pulao with a radish, walnut and mint raita. It can be prepared with lamb, goat, paneer or lotus root [see recipe notes]. The most important element of this rice dish is the stock.” – Helly Raichura.

You’ll need a 30cm square piece of muslin and some kitchen string for this recipe.

1.5kg lamb shoulder, cut into 4-5cm chunks
1/2 cup (120g) garlic paste
1/3 cup (70g) ginger paste
4 cups (680g) basmati rice (we used Golden Sella rice)
2 cups (500ml) mustard oil
6 large eschalots, thinly sliced
2/3 cup (60g) fennel seeds
1 1/2 tbs cumin seeds
20 black cardamom pods
15 green cardamom pods
3 cassia bark sticks
6 cloves
1/3 cup (80g) ghee
1 cup nuts (we used cashews and macadamias)
1/2 cup (85g) raisins

Raita

3 cups (840g) plain yoghurt
10 walnuts, toasted, finely chopped
2 green bird’s-eye chillies, finely chopped
1/2 bunch mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 1/2 bunches breakfast radish (from specialty grocers, substitute regular radish), cut into matchsticks
4-5 sprigs coriander, leaves and stems finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, coarsely crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1.

Place the lamb in a large bowl with the pastes and 1 tbs salt flakes. Massage until well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour.
2.

Heat mustard oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add eschalot and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until dark brown but not burnt. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel until room temperature.
3.

Place a 30cm square piece of muslin on the bench. Place all the whole spices and fried eschalot in the centre, then tie with kitchen string into a loose pouch (it is important to keep the pouch loose so the water can seep into the spices and fried eschalot, but make sure to tie the string tightly).
4.

Fill a stockpot with 3L water, then add the marinated lamb and muslin pouch and season with 1 tbs salt flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5.

Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 1 hour 15 minutes, skimming off any impurities that rise to the top, until meat is soft but not falling apart. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat and set aside in a bowl. Bring stock, still with the pouch, to the boil over high heat and boil for 7 minutes, for flavours of stock to concentrate.
6.

While meat is cooking, wash rice 3 to 4 times gently without breaking the grains, then soak in 8 cups (2L) water for at least 30 minutes.
7.

Melt the ghee in a very large saucepan over medium heat. Fry nuts, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until golden. Add raisins and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until plump. Set nuts and raisins aside with a slotted spoon.
8.

Add cooked lamb pieces to pan and cook over medium heat to coat. Drain rice and add to pan, but do not stir at this point (you don’t want the rice to break). Add 6 cups (1.5L) stock and gently stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and stand, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
9.

For the raita, whisk the yoghurt until smooth and season with salt flakes to taste. Add walnut, chilli and mint and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix radish, coriander, cumin seeds, lemon juice and salt flakes to taste. Place the yoghurt mixture in a serving bowl and top with dressed radish.
10.

Divide rice between serving plates, garnish with fried nuts and raisins and serve with radish raita.