Erachi chor | Meat Rice

When I started with this mega marathon I thought of covering A-Z from all the categories like snacks, sweets, breakfast, juices etc... So here is my first rice recipe for this series. Erachi in malayalam means meat (any kind). Actually I was asking H for a list of recipes starting from E and he gave all possible combinations of Egg - egg curry, egg fry, egg bajji, egg rice etc etc. Somehow I was not keen on making something with egg. I felt E for egg is very obvious.

My first choice was Erissery - an authentic kerala dish. But somehow couldn't make it up. So settled for this Erachi chor which is a non-vegetarian dish and a quick one pot meal. I came across a survey which says that in Kerala only 2% of the population is vegetarian (not sure how far this is true). But the essence is that kerala cuisine includes a lot of non vegetarian recipes and so finding a pure vegetarian restaurant in kerala is also very difficult. Erachi chor is more famous from the malabar cuisine and is normally made with normal raw rice.

Some points to note in Kerala cuisine would be that they use lots of coconuts in their cuisine ofcourse since it is available in plenty. The primary oil used is coconut oil (in restaurants also - except 5-star) even for deep frying. Keralites love shallots or small onions or kunjulli. Their tadka/temper will include mustard + shallots and almost all their chutneys/chammandhi will have shallots. Keralites also use a lot of spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon etc since it is available in plenty in these regions. Keralites use curry leaves in everything - even in their biriyanis. Traditionally they are not used to coriander leaves and mint leaves - these have been brought into the cuisine oflate.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Meat (beef or mutton) - 1 cup
Onions - 2 big
Tomato - 2 small
Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chilly - 2 nos
chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon - 2 each
Bay leaf - 1
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves / coriander leaves / mint leaves - few

Method:

• Cook the raw rice with adequate amount of water and salt. Once the rice is cooked spread it in a plate and keep it aside to cool.
• Chop the meat pieces into small cubes and cook them in a pressure cooker along with salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Cook in pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
• In a mixer jar, add the onions, tomato, green chillies and pulse them. Dont add water.
• Once the meat pieces are cooked pulse them in the mixie so that they come out as strands. Don't make it into a paste.
• In a kadai add oil. Once the oil is hot add the spices - cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds and bay leaf.
• Add the ground onion mixture and fry for about 5 minutes until the raw smell is gone and all water is evaporated.
• Add salt, pepper powder and garam masala powder. Fry for another 1 minute.
• Add the minced meat and stir until all the masala is mixed well.
• Switch off flame. Add rice and mix well.
• Garnish with Curry leaves / coriander leaves / mint leaves

Erachi chor is ready !!! Serve with some fryums and salad.

Notes:

• Vegetarians can probably substitute meat with soya chunks
• Its not mandatory to pulse the onions/tomatoes. You can also chop them. 
• We can cook and refrigerate the meat and prepare this erachi chor any time.

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