Recipe of Biryani (South Indian Style)


Ingredients:

500 g stewing lamb, cut into bite size chunks
2 tsp adrak lahsun paste
2.5 cm cinnamon stick
2 cloves
4 green cardamoms, seeds only
½ - 1 tsp medium hot chili powder
1 tbsp yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp groundnut oil
½ tsp salt
1 medium Spanish onion, finely sliced
200 g white basmati rice
4 tbsp full-fat or semi skimmed milk
A few saffron strands
15 g butter or ghee

Method:

Mix the lamb with adrak lahsun paste, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, chili, yoghurt, lemon juice, 1 tbsp oil and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan and fry onions for 5 minutes. Set aside. Rinse rice thoroughly in cold running water and place in a pan with 400 ml boiling water. Cover and boil for 8 minutes or until the rice is half cooked. Gently warm the milk and soak saffron stands for few minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degree centigrade. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottom pan and fry the marinated meat for 15 minutes until well browned. Stir in the fried onion. Grease the base of a large heavy based casserole with butter or ghee. Add the meat mixture followed by the parboiled rice. Pack the rice firmly into the casserole. Pour saffron laced milk over the rice. Cover tightly and bake for 45- 50 minutes. Serve hot with raita and chutni.