Biryani recipe @Cotty, MC et al.

[SVX]

With the now famous "PH search not working" message (was it ever??), and after looking through about 20 pages of threads, I figured I'd start a new thread and post that recipe for Biryani as discussed on the Cajun thread;

This a recipe from The Independent Magazine from quite a few years ago, shamelessly cribbed and amended by me to work with a yield of around 4 solid portions, and medium to hot heat. There are quite a few processes in this one, but lordy it's worth it!


Ingredients:

1kg of lamb, hogget or mutton shoulder boned and diced into large cubes
30g of fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
4 large onions (peeled and finely sliced)
4 large garlic cloves (crushed and finely chopped)
2 tbsp of garam massala (I can post a recipe for this)
1 tbsp of ground cumin (freshly ground)
1 tsp of chilli powder
1/2 tsp of ground tumeric
6 green cardamom pods (skinned and ground into a powder)
4 fresh green chillies finely chopped
A bunch of chopped fresh coriander
A bunch of chopped fresh mint
A handful of fresh curry leaves (methi, Asda and Morrisons both sell these)
200g ghee (clarified butter)
450ml thick natural yoghurt (not greek)
A pinch of saffron (soaked in a cup with warm milk)
500g of basmati rice

S&P to taste...

First stage (ideally the day before):

Take a stainless steel/mixing bowl: Mix the lamb/hogget/mutton with the ginger, garlic, garam massala, chilli powder, tumeric, fresh green chilli, curry leaves, cardamom, coriander and mint. Cover with cling-film, refrigerate, and leave overnight - longer if possible, at minimum a few hours.

Second stage:

Soak the basmati rice in water for 45mins - 1hr, then in a sieve, rinse it under a tap until the water runs clear - set aside.

Take a large heavy casserole and add the ghee. Over a medium heat, cook the onions until they are translucent and starting to colour, but not browning. Using a slotted spoon remove the onions from the pan reserving the ghee. Next add the meat a few pieces at a time and brown until it is well sealed.

Return the onions, any remaining marinade and the meat back into the casserole along with the yoghurt.

Place in an oven preheated to 220°c for 10 mins, then reduce the heat to 180°c, and cook for 35-40 mins.

Third stage:

After the meat is just becoming tender, and the oil is separating on the top of the sauce, add the rice to the casserole, stir gently then drizzle the saffron milk on top of the rice.

The next phase is critical, make a sealing paste of flour and water (1 tablespoon in a cup with a little water is fine) and 'glue' the lid of the pot shut, then place in the oven at 100°c for 30 minutes.

The result will be fluffy rice, meltingly tender meat that is both fragrant and with a hint of green chilli spice.

I hope you enjoy it, as much I do!

[The Riddler]

Will try this on Thursday, cheers!

[Shaw Tarse]

Thanks, looks good!

Cotty said:

That's my starter, now what's the main course?

[Cotty]

Looks a bit more complicated than the Jambalaya

[escargot]

Bookmarked. Svx, you're my new hero.

[smack]

I have cooked it before using a simular recipe a few years back. Hard work, took ages, but god it tasted good from memory, but I was a bit by the time I ate it!

[Plotloss]

All of the recipes that I've tried from this place have been utterly awesome.

http://www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/html/curry-recipe...

[SVX]

Here is a recipe for a slow cooked beef vindaloo, I thought I'd post it here, save starting a new thread. A bit like the biryani recipe above this takes a bit of work, but the outcome is worth the effort!

Stage 1 - Massala:

• 3 medium onions, cut into chunks
• 2cm ginger, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 plum tomatoes quartered
• 6 dried red chillies, broken into pieces and soaked in water
• 3 fresh green chilled, sliced
• 6 green cardamom pods, de-husked
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

Make the massala by combining all the ingredients above in a blender and working into a smooth paste, place in a plastic container to infuse the flavours, will keep overnight.

Stage 2 - curry base:

• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 6 green cardamom pods, de-husked
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 8-10 shallots finely sliced
• 500g of beef shin, cubed
• 100ml tomato purée
• 200ml water
• a little chopped coriander to garnish

Heat the oil in a wok or a non-stick frying pan, then add the cardamoms, black peppercorns and fry gently for a few minutes. Add the shallots and cook until translucent. Add the meat and cook until it is well sealed on all sides.

Transfer to a heavy casserole add the massala paste, the tomato purée and the water, and cook in a pre-heated 220°C oven for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 140°C. Cook for a further hour, checking the sauce for consistency and stirring from time to time. When you are ready to serve, garnish with the chopped coriander.

Serve with plain basmati rice and chapatis

[Plotloss]

A vindaloo without potato?

Also, beef has no place in curry, it's a sacred animal...

[Cotty]

Plotloss said:

Also, beef has no place in curry, it's a sacred animal...

Not to me it isn’t

[SVX]

Plotloss said:

A vindaloo without potato?

Also, beef has no place in curry, it's a sacred animal...

I would use small waxy potatoes in a pork vindaloo, but don't think that they work with beef. You'll also notice I've not included either fenugreek or vinegar. The finished dish should be rich, and the sauce should have a rich unctuous jam like quality.

As for it being a sacred animal, well if you are a devout Hindu, perhaps. But beef is served in both Christian and Muslim Indian restaurants and features in many Keralan, Gujarati and Goan recipes.