Lamb Biryani

The biryani is a perfect one pot dish that is so easy to prepare and cook that its a wonder it isn't more popular. This recipe has been cobbled together from a number of sources and adapted to suit my taste and the amount of time required to prepare and cook it.

This one pot curry is a little different to the one described in the novel, The Xandrian Quarters but in the spirit of the book and its influences, I have chosen lamb as the meat. It could equally be chicken or indeed vegetable based. I have a fancy to try aubergine and will report back in some future post.

Ingredients

( for two persons), the following:-

• 1.5 cups Long grain rice (white)

• 1 cup lamb stock

• 3 cups water

• 325g butterflied lamb leg

• 1 medium red onion finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves

• 150 waxy new potatoes

• 1 tbsp (heaped) Greek yoghurt

• 70g long stemmed broccoli

• 30g Celery tops finely sliced / diced

• 1 Bird's eye chilli (finely sliced / diced)

• 1 tbsp Ground coriander

• 1 tbsp Ground cumin

• 1/2 tbsp Ground turmeric

• 1 x 2 inches Cinnamon stick

• 1/2 tbsp (half) Ground cayenne pepper

• 1/2 tbsp Ground paprika

• 3 whole cloves

• Salt to taste (we didn't add any)

• 1 tbsp oil for frying

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Fan) or 200 conventional). Gas 6.

Make sure that you have a large enough oven proof pot with a close fitting lid. The pot in the images below was just about sufficient for a recipe for 4 (i.e. doubled up).

Wash the rice a few times in cold water and then leave to stand in a large bowl of warm water for 20 to 30 minutes . Slice and chop the garlic, chilli and celery tops if not already done.

If the lamb has a skin , remove it. It doesn't matter if the meat is in parts once this is done, but the meat does not need to be diced. Rub some additional paprika, chilli and coriander powder into the lamb meat.

Meanwhile in the pot that you will use for cooking the biryani in the oven, fry the finely diced onions in the oil until soft then add the garlic and celery tops and chilli and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain the rice and then pour the fried vegetables into the drained rice mix. Remove the tops of the cloves and discard the stalks and then add all the spices to the rice bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Place the small potatoes to the cooking pot and add the yoghurt and mix together loosely. (Yes there are small carrots and one brussel sprout in the image - these extra raw ingredients were just available - waste not want not!)

Pour the rice mixture onto the potatoes and level out but do not mix . (Leave the potatoes on the base if possible but it doesn't matter if a few get to the surface).

Add the lamb stock and the water to the pot.

Drop the broccoli into the pot and leave spread about the surface then add the meat to the top. At this point there should be liquid covering the surface with the lamb sitting just like a meaty island. Place the lid on the pot ( preferably a tight fitting one to minimise evaporation) before placing in the centre of the preheated oven.

Cook for about 50 minutes to an hour or until the rice is done. Remove from oven and leave to stand for about 10 minutes before serving. The meat will need cutting. Dig deep for the potatoes!

Add some fresh cut green herbs ( eg coriander or parsley or methi). We used parsley from one of our two Auks.(Our indoor herb garden)

bon appétit!

Our Two Auks