Parsi mutton pulao topped with tangy Iranian zereshk berries, fried cashews and crispy onion. The Britannia and Co signature, dating to 1923.

Britannia and Co opened in Ballard Estate in 1923 and is run by the Kohinoor family. Bachan Kohinoor introduced berry pulao using imported Iranian zereshk berries layered through saffron rice with chicken or mutton. Her son Boman ran the cafe for decades until his death at 97 in 2019, and Britannia still imports the same zereshk berries from Iran for the dish.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 490 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g mutton or chicken, cut into bite pieces
  • 300g basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin (for fried onion garnish)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine (for the gravy)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 100ml yoghurt
  • 100g zereshk (Iranian barberries) soaked in warm water 15 minutes
  • 50g cashews
  • 4 green cardamom pods
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons warm milk
  • 50g ghee
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (for sweetened berries)

Method

  1. Heat 30g ghee in a heavy pot. Fry sliced onions until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain.
  2. In the same pot, fry cashews until golden. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add chopped onion to the pot. Cook 5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste, cook 1 minute.
  4. Add mutton pieces and brown 5 minutes. Add tomato and cook 8 minutes until soft.
  5. Add yoghurt, salt and 300ml water. Cover and cook 45 minutes until mutton is tender (15 minutes for chicken).
  6. Meanwhile boil 600ml salted water with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin. Add rice and cook 6 minutes until 70 percent done. Drain.
  7. Layer rice over mutton in the pot. Top with saffron milk. Cover tightly and cook on low 12 minutes.
  8. Drain soaked berries. In a small pan heat 1 teaspoon ghee, add berries with 2 tablespoons sugar, toss 30 seconds until glazed.
  9. Top the cooked pulao with sweetened berries, fried onion and cashews. Serve hot.

Editor tip. Iranian zereshk are essential; substitute dried cranberries only as a last resort. The berries should be tart, not sweet.

Common allergens: Nuts, Dairy.