LAMB BREYANI
1 kg stewing lamb, cubed
1 cup (250 ml) full-cream yoghurt
2 tablespoon (30 ml) garlic, ginger and dhania paste (if you don’t have a ready made paste, use 4 cloves garlic, 5 cm-knob grated ginger and a handful of chopped fresh coriander)
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tablespoon (15 ml) garam masala
1 teaspoon (5 ml) turmeric
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cumin
4 cardamom pods
10 curry leaves, more if you like
oil, for frying
1 can (410 g) chopped tomatoes
4 onions, sliced
¼ cup (60 ml) ghee, and extra for dotting
2 cups (500 ml) basmati rice
1 cup (250 ml) brown lentils
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup (250 ml) warm milk
½ tsp (3 ml) saffron strands
Salt and milled pepper
Dried apricot chutney:
oil, for frying
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
5 cm-knob ginger, grated
1 whole chilli
500 g dried apricots and peaches, roughly chopped
3 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
2 teaspoon (10 ml) coriander seeds
1/3 cup (83 ml) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) vinegar
water, as needed
salt and pepper
raisins, optional
Marinate lamb in yoghurt, chilli and spices for at least 2 hours, longer if you can.
Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and brown lamb.
Add remaining marinade and tomatoes. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender.
Season well with salt and pepper.
In a separate pan, slowly caramelize the onion in the ghee, until a deep golden brown.
Cook rice and lentils according to the packet instructions. Mix together.
Steep saffron in milk.
Layer lamb, rice and onion in a large ovenproof dish.
Add the cinnamon sticks and extra curry leaves as you go.
Repeat until the final layer is the lentil and rice mix.
Pour the saffron milk over the biryani.
Dot with ghee, cover and bake at 160ºC for 45 minutes.
Recipe placed by: Elzette Cyster-Human
