Lamb Biryani
Indian
,Lamb
,Main
April 13, 2023
“I love Indian food – it’s my favorite cuisine. I love the mixture of spices and the subtle flavors. It’s really erotic; the spices are so sensuous.”
— Joe Perry
Slaying hunger and impressing taste buds is what Biryani does best. This food didn’t come all the way from India to your plate to be mediocre.
Briyani may be a crown jewel to most proud Indians, but historians link its origin to Persia (بریانی), my birthplace. The jury is still out on how it exactly made its way to India, where it flourished like a palm tree to its numerous styles and variations responsible for every gastronomist’s spiritual awakening.
Indian Biryani is a layered casserole of tender curry lamb chunks resting on a fluffed bed of fragrant saffron rice and served with a cooling cucumber-mint raita on the side. The rice must be long-grain Basmati, and a spiced yogurt marinade is used beforehand to tenderize the meat for which chicken, goat, beef, or lamb could be used interchangeably. Besides the unique combination of spices, saffron, the world’s most expensive spice which is worth more than its weight in gold, is the secret to this dish’s distinct delicate royal taste. Be sure not to skip it.
Enjoy
Lamb Biryani
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 2 lbs. lamb shoulder cubed
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 3 TBSP Greek yogurt
- 4 TBSP butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 2- inch cinnamon stick
- 2 medium onions finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 ” ginger peeled and pressed
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp fennel powder
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 TBSP mint finely chopped
- 1 TBSP cilantro finely chopped
For the Rice
- 2 cups basmati rice washed & drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Water
- Kosher salt to taste
Cucumber Riata
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped out with a spoon, and grated or finely chopped.
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For Final Assembly
- 1 tsp saffron infused in 2 TBSP of warm water
- 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- Red onion lemon wedges, and cucumber riata to serve
Instructions
For the Lamb
- In a large bowl, add the lamb, turmeric powder, curry powder, Greek yogurt, and kosher salt. Mix well making sure all the pieces are well coated. Set aside and leave to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat pan on medium-high melt the butter and, then, add all the whole spices. As they start to make some noise (yes, listen to your food), add the onions. Sauté the onions until they turn light brown.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add the powdered spices and cook for another two minutes.
- Add the marinated lamb to the pan and blend with the spices and onions.
- Add the tomato sauce and cook until the paste adheres to the lamb pieces.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 60 minutes (stirring occasionally).
For the Rice
- Add the rice, bay leaf, cardamom pods, chicken stock, water, and kosher salt to the rice cooker.
- Cook the rice until three-quarters done.
- Set aside.
Cucumber Riata
- Combine all the ingredients.
- Cover and refrigerate.
Final Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Brush a deep casserole with butter.
- Cover the dish with a layer of rice, about a third of the way up, followed by the lamb along with its sauce, and finally, another layer of rice
- Spoon the saffron water on top
- Spread the chopped cilantro and mint on top. Cover the dish and bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve warm with onion slices, lemon wedges, and cucumber riata.
- Congratulations you’re finally done!
