Biriani by N.C. Strugnell

16th November 2002 · Food and Drink

Ingredients

• 1 lb meat (beef, lamb, pork or prawns)
• ghee
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1″ fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron
• 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 1/2 pint meat stock (chicken or beef depending on meat used)

Spices 1

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 ground cardamoms
• 5 ground black peppercorns
• 2 ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

Spices 2

• 2 ground cardamom
• 2 whole cloves
• 2″ piece cassia
• 2 bay leaves

Method

• Fry 3/4 of the onion, chopped with the ginger and chopped garlic until golden.
• Add Spices 1 and lemon juice after further minute.
• Add meat and cook, covered on very low heat for 1 hr, less if using prawns.
• The meat should become very dry and be coated with the mix. Add salt to taste.
• While the above is happening preheat oven to 325F, 160C gas mark 3.
• Soak saffron in warm milk for 10 mins. Boil rice for 5 mins and strain.
• Fry remaining onion in some ghee.
• Add stock, saffron and rice and return to boil.
• Strain, retaining liquid.
• In a flat dish put a layer of half the rice, then spices 2, then the meat, then the remainder of the rice.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 1 hr.