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This morning found me preparing my version of an Indian biryani as India celebrated Republic Day, yesterday. It wasn’t too long after the onions were sizzling in the ghee (clarified butter) that I started longing for the days and nights spent in Mumbai and Delhi. What I didn’t know at the time was that the experience would change me forever as my appreciation for spices emerged, my curiosity about Indian flavours and cooking techniques intensified. I felt love, pure love for my Mumbai global family Ananth and Radhika who when they sat down to eat would constantly smile and fill my plate! Gleefully inviting me to eat more, taste more and just share in the celebration of togetherness.
1 Kg mutton or lamb pieces (bone-in)
3 C (750 ml) Basmati rice
3 large onions (thinly sliced)
5 potatoes (peeled and quartered)
1 large or 2 medium-sized tomatoes (skinned and grated)
1 C (250 ml) ghee or oil (vegetable/sunflower/canola oil)
½ C (125 ml) oil (for flash frying or shallow frying the potatoes)
50 g butter (quartered)
1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 C (250 ml) plain or Greek yoghurt
2 Tbsp (30 ml) garlic and ginger paste (or 2 cloves of garlic and 1 thumb of ginger – peeled and finely grated)
1 C (250 ml) water (to add when cooking the meat)
6 C (250 ml x 6) water (to add when cooking the biryani)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 green cardamom pods (slightly bruised)
2 black cardamom pods (whole)
3 cloves
1 bay leave
3 Tbsp (45 ml) ground cumin powder (jeero/jeera)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) roasted masala (any meat masala mix)
½ tsp (2.5 ml) turmeric (haldi/borrie)
1 tsp (5 ml) ground fennel (barishap)
1 tsp (5 ml) chilli powder
1 Tbsp (30 ml) saffron strands
1. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and place it into a large bowl.
2. Add to this the biryani spice mix, salt, garlic and ginger paste and the grated tomato. Also, add half of the saffron strands and reserve the other half for later.
3. Use a wooden spoon and just gently stir all of this together until the meat is well coated with the spice-infused yoghurt.
4. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set aside for about 2 to 3 hours or overnight. The longer the meat is left to marinade, the more tender, it becomes. However, you can also make this biryani with an hour after the meat has marinated, you would still have success.
5. Use a large pot and heat the ghee or oil over a high heat setting.
6. Add the onion slices and fry for about 20 minutes or until the onions have transformed into a golden and dark colour. Remove half the onions from the pot and set aside in a separate bowl, for later use.
7. Add the marinated meat to the onions in the large pot and cook covered with a lid on high heat for 30 minutes.
8. In the meantime place the raw rice in a large bowl and rinse this with tepid water. I also treat Basmati rice with extra care because the rice grains can crumble or break if you rub it against each other. I prefer to light the lift from the bottom to the top with my hands and finger or just swirl it around in the bowl. Drain the rice and repeat this method about three or four times or until the water runs clear. Drain the rice and set it aside.
9. After the meat has cooked for about 30 minutes, add one cup of water and continue to cook covered for a further 20 to 30 minutes. You may stir the meat occasionally and at this stage, the meat should be partially tender depending on how long it has marinated.
10. In a smaller saucepan or pot heat the half cup of oil on high heat and flash fry or shallow fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes only or until it is slightly golden in colour and set aside.
11. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and some of the yoghurt gravy from the pot and place this into another bowl. You’ll now be left with some gravy at the bottom of the pot.
12. Continue to keep the heat on high and add the potatoes to the gravy. Then sprinkle half of the rinsed rice over the potatoes to cover the cooked ingredients in the pot to form the next layer of the biryani.
13. Following the rice layer, now add the meat evenly and gravy over the rice layer.
14. Thereafter sprinkle the rest of the raw, rinsed rice evenly over the layer of meat. You can at this stage add extra slat depending on your taste.
15. Add six cups of water and continue to cook on high. You will need to use a sheet of foil to cover the pot to ensure that no air escapes, thus firmly pinch the sides to secure the foil. Place the lid of the pot on top of this and cook like this on high for 10 minutes.
16. Remove the foil gently, because you will be using it again and at this stage sprinkle the rest of the onions and saffron over the cooked ingredients.
17. Reduce the heat to medium and cook further for about 10 minutes.
18. Remove the foil again and lastly add dollops of the butter on top of the partially cooked biryani.
19. Turn the heat down completely and leave the pot as it is for 30 minutes. Don’t disturb it at all, don’t peek, just leave it to rest. This allows the rice to fluff up and all the flavours to immerse into the rice.
20. Now you’re ready to serve! You can garnish with boiled eggs that have been halved or quartered as I have done here. Chalo (come on) let’s eat!
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