Goa’s extremely popular choriz pulao is essentially a basic pulao with some choriz (Goan sausage) thrown on it. That is not how Chef Floyd Cardoz wanted to do it, so he reimagined it as this iteration. At Paowalla, his restaurant in New York, Chef Floyd would cook it to order – much like a risotto at an Italian restaurant – and diners would patiently wait while it was prepared fresh. It is hands-down one of my favourites.

  • Serves

    4

  • Cook Time

    50m

Ingredients

  • 400 gm Goan choriz, cooked in 4 cups water for 30 mins
  • 200 gm bacon lardon, rendered
  • 4 cups chicken or pork stock
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup bacon fat
  • 3 scallions, white and green, sliced thin
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 fried eggs (optional)
  • 1 piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • Coconut vinegar to taste

Preparation

  1. Place the rice in a large bowl and fill it with cold water from the tap. Swish the grains around gently with your fingers, and then pour out the water. Wash the rice about 10 more times this way, until the washing water loses its murkiness and becomes clear.
  2. Strain the rice through a sieve and transfer into a container. Reserve in the refrigerator.
  3. In the meantime, heat bacon fat in a large, wide pot over moderate heat until warmed through and add cinnamon and cloves. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the spices are fragrant.
  4. Toss in onions along with scallions (only white part) and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring continually, until softened (don’t let it colour).
  5. Add bay leaves, tomatoes and heat through. Season to taste. Cool and reserve.
  6. Bring the stock to a boil in a separate pot over medium heat.
  7. Combine the rendered bacon, cooked choriz and onion-tomato masala in a large pot and cook slowly over moderate heat. Add the boiling stock and drop in the washed rice and scallion greens. Season with salt and coconut vinegar as needed.
  8. Reduce the flame to low, cover the pot, and cook for around 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done but not mushy.
  9. You can top the rice with a fried egg and serve with a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.
Hussain Shahzad

Hussain Shahzad

Hussain Shahzad, the Executive Chef at O Pedro, a Goa-inspired restaurant in Mumbai, is Scroll Food’s Chef of the Month for October. He started his career with the Oberoi Group of Hotels in Mumbai, before moving to New York, where he worked at the iconic Eleven Madison Park. His culinary adventures have taken him around the world and included a brief stint as a personal chef to Roger Federer. Before taking the reins at O Pedro, he was a part of the team at the award-winning The Bombay Canteen. A dynamic and bold chef, Hussain’s food philosophy is to showcase local produce using contemporary culinary techniques.

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