serves
8-10
prep
40 minutes
cook
1:45 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
8-10
people
preparation
40
minutes
cooking
1:45
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 700 g
- 1 kg diced lamb
- 200 g yoghurt
- 200 g ginger, finely chopped
- 250 g garlic, finely chopped
- salt
- 500 ml oil
- 1 kg onions, sliced
- 5 green chillies, sliced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 200 g tomatoes, diced
- 2 bunches mint leaves, chopped
- 1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
- 4 bay leaves
- 5 g cloves
- 5 g cardamom
- 5 litres water
- 100 g , fried
- 100 g sultanas
- 1 tbsp rosewater
- 1 g saffron
- 100 g butter
- 1 litre milk
- 100 g ghee
- Lime pickles, to serve
Sarlas
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 20 g ginger, chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 200 g yoghurt
- salt
Soaking time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 1 hour
Instructions
- Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in water for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, marinate the lamb with the yoghurt, ginger, garlic and salt to taste. Set aside for at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the onions until brown. Take out about 100 g of fried onions and reserve for garnish.
- Add the marinated lamb to the onions, plus green chillies, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric powder, half the lemon juice and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, over a low heat for 1-1½ hours or until the meat is tender. Add mint and coriander, bay leaves, cloves and cardomom. This becomes the biryani masala.
- Meanwhile, bring water to the boil, add some salt and remaining lemon juice, drain the soaked rice and add to the boiling water. When rice is half-cooked, drain.
- Taking another heavy-bottomed cooking pot, layer the lamb biryani masala and the rice alternately, finishing with a layer of rice. Top with fried cashew nuts, sultanas, rose water, saffron, butter and the milk.
- Cover with a cloth and seal tightly. Cook for at least 25 minutes over a slow fire. When steam emerges from the pot, remove from the heat and mix together.
- To make the sarlas, mix the onion, curry leaves, ginger and chillies together, then add the yoghurt and salt to taste.
- Top the biryani with the reserved onion and serve with the sarlas and some lime pickle.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
