|
Biryani - Spiced Rice with Lamb
A Royal North Indian dish of
Mogul origin, Biryani is a fragrant mixture of meat, spices, nuts and
saffron rice. The traditional meat in a Biryani is lamb, but today prawns,
chicken or other meats are also used by Indian cooks. It can be served as
a main dish. The quantity of meat is double that of the rice and therefore
is a complete meal. Serve with chutney and kachumber (diced cucumber,
tomato and onion salsa) and raita.
This is a popular dish at Indian parties
and in formal entertaining in India.
This recipe is hard to make and
takes a lot of effort and skill.
Ingredients -
Serves 6
8 tablespoons butter or
cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-inch piece fresh ginger,
peeled and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
seeds
2 lb. lean boned lamb, cut
into 1 -inch cubes
4-inch piece of cinnamon
stick
10 cloves
8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
10 fl. oz. [1
1/4 cups] yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
1 lb. [2 2/3 cups] basmati
rice, washed, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
½ teaspoon saffron threads
soaked in 2 tablespoons boiling water for 10 minutes
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 ½ oz.[1/3 cup] almonds,
silvered
1 ½ oz.[1/3 cup]
pistachio nuts
2 oz.[1/3 cup] sultanas or
raisins
Preparation
- In a large saucepan,
heat 4 tablespoons of the butter or cooking oil over moderate heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger,
cayenne pepper and cumin seeds to the pan. Fry for 3 minutes. Raise the
heat to moderately high, add the lamb cubes and fry for 10 to 15 minutes
or until they are evenly browned . Stir in the cinnamon, cloves,
peppercorns, cardamom, yogurt and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and add 5
fluid ounces[5/8 cup] of water. Bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce
the heat to low , cover the pan and simmer for 40 minutes or until the
lamb is tender.
- In a second saucepan,
bring 3 pints of water to the boil over moderate heat. Add the remaining
salt and pour in the rice
- Boil briskly for 1 ½
minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain the rice thoroughly and set
aside.
- Preheat the oven to
moderate 350 F (Gas Mark 4, 180 C).
- Pour 1 tablespoon of
butter or oil into a large ovenproof casserole dish. Put one third of
the parboiled rice in the bottom of the casserole. Sprinkle one third of
the saffron water over it . With a slotted spoon, remove one third of
the lamb cubes from the saucepan and put them over the rice. Cover with
another one –third of the rice sprinkled with saffron water. Remove all
the remaining meat cubes from the pan with the slotted spoon and put
them on top, then finish with a last layer of the remaining rice. Pour
all the liquid left in the saucepan in which the lamb was cooked
carefully over the rice and meat. Sprinkle the remaining saffron water
over the top layer of rice.
- Cover the casserole with
aluminum foil. Place the casserole in the oven and cook for 20 to 30
minutes or until the rice is cooked and has absorbed all the liquid.
- In a small frying-pan,
heat the remaining butter or oil over high heat. Add the onions, reduce
the heat to moderate and, stirring frequently, fry for 8 to 10 minutes
or until they are golden brown
- With a slotted spoon,
remove the onions and set aside on kitchen Paper towels to drain.
- Add the almonds,
pistachio nuts and sultanas or raisins to the pan, adding more butter or
oil if necessary. Fry them for 3 minutes or until the nuts are lightly
browned . With a slotted spoon, remove the mixture from the pan and set
aside on a plate.
- Pile the rice and lamb
attractively on a large heated serving dish and sprinkle the top with
the nuts, sultanas and onions. Serve immediately.
Biryani,
a combination of rice and lamb, spices and yogurt, is one of the great
classics of Indian cuisine. |
Dutchman 
