Indian

Biryani

Name: Biryani recipe
Yield: 8
Cuisine: /indian
Ingredients: 40g cashews, lightly toasted*; 30g grated fresh coconut; 6g salt flakes; 1.2kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks (or substitute goat); 14g Black curry powder (see recipe on delicious.com.au); 3g turmeric powder; 100g thick yoghurt; 100.00g ghee; 8.00g curry leaves; 3 cardamom pods, bruised; 2 cloves; 2.00 cinnamon quill; 2 large onions, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 9g finely chopped ginger; 400g tin diced tomatoes; 2 long green chillies, cut into thin rounds; 400g basmati rice; 80.00g ghee; 4 cardamom pods, bruised; 5 cloves; 2g curry leaves; 170g finely chopped onion; 4g salt flakes; 2 x 4cm pieces pandan leaf; 100ml coconut cream; Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 40ml warm water; 16g mustard seeds; 270g finely chopped onion; 100g cashews, toasted

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Mar 17, 2022

"The ingredients list is reasonably long and there are quite a few steps, but the aromatic flavours and joy this special dish brings are well worth it." – O Tama Carey

To marinate the lamb

40g cashews, lightly toasted*
30g grated fresh coconut
6g salt flakes
1.2kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks (or substitute goat)
14g Black curry powder (see recipe on delicious.com.au)
3g turmeric powder
100g thick yoghurt

To cook the lamb

50g ghee
4g curry leaves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
2 cloves
1 cinnamon quill
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
9g finely chopped ginger
400g tin diced tomatoes
2 long green chillies, cut into thin rounds

Fragrant rice

400g basmati rice
40g ghee
4 cardamom pods, bruised
5 cloves
1 cinnamon quill
2g curry leaves
170g finely chopped onion
4g salt flakes
2 x 4cm pieces pandan leaf
100ml coconut cream
Pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 40ml warm water

Temper

50g ghee
16g mustard seeds
4g curry leaves
270g finely chopped onion
100g cashews, toasted

To assemble

40g ghee
Coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

1.

For the marinated lamb, using a mortar and pestle, pound together the cashews, coconut and salt to form a smooth paste. Place lamb in a bowl. Add cashew paste, curry powder and turmeric and massage into the meat. Stir through the yoghurt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours, taking it out about 20 minutes before you start cooking.
2.

To cook the lamb, first place a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid over a medium heat. Add in half the ghee to melt, then the curry leaves to fry for a minute or so. Add the whole spices and cook for 2 minutes, then add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes or until onion has softened. Season lightly with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, then use a spoon to remove this base into a bowl and set aside.
3.

Increase the heat to high, add in the remaining ghee and cook off your lamb pieces. Give them a good 10 minutes or so in the pan, stirring regularly, and season well. The yoghurt will start to stick but just keep stirring and scraping.
4.

Add base back in with the lamb, along with the tomatoes, plus a splash of water to rinse out the tomato tin. Reduce heat so the mix is sitting at a gentle simmer and cover with a lid. You want to cook the lamb, stirring occasionally, until it’s well braised and just starting to fall apart, between 1 hour 30 minutes-2 hours. Once cooked, stir through the green chillies and set aside to cool, then remove from the casserole dish and clean.
5.

While your lamb is cooking, prepare the rice and the temper.
6.

Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then leave to drain in a sieve. Melt ghee in a saucepan over a medium heat, add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the spices become very aromatic. Add the curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, then add the onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the onion has softened, then pour in the rice and give it a good mix to coat.
7.

Add pandan, coconut cream, 2 cups (500ml) water and the saffron liquid and stir well. Allow rice to come to the boil – this will take 4-5 minutes. Put lid on, then reduce heat to as low as you can and cook the rice, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to steam, still covered, for another 10 minutes.
8.

Remove lid and fluff the rice. It should be dry, fluffy and slightly undercooked.
9.

For the temper, melt the ghee in a separate frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook, stirring, for a minute until the seeds start to pop and the leaves are fried. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan. Add the cashews and cook for another 2-4 minutes until the onion is nice and caramelised. Set aside, then preheat the oven to 220°C.
10.

To assemble, place clean casserole dish over a high heat, add ghee and wait until it starts to smoke. Add half the rice so it sits on an even layer at the base and then turn off the heat. Spoon in the lamb and sauce to sit over the rice, then finish with the remaining rice in another even layer. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove biryani from oven and take off the lid. Spread over the temper and return to the oven for an extra 5 minutes to dry out and heat the temper.
11.

Remove from the oven, then use a fork to fluff up the top layer of rice so you can see the pieces of meat poking through. Garnish generously with coriander leaves and serve immediately. The biryani should be fragrant with spice, the meat tender, the rice soft but not gluggy, with a nice crunchy layer of rice at the bottom.