A Scuba Diver's Kitchenette II: GOSHT KI BIRYANI (LAMB BIRYANI)

Last weekend I told my mom that I’m gonna try to make Lamb Biryani. I have seriously no idea how to cook lamb biryani. The only thing that came into my mind was how it has to look like (almost resembling) the ones at Restaurant Muhibbah in Bangsar (know what I mean?). It’s too late to back out now, my mom told my bros n SILs to come over for lunch. Crap!

So went and surf for a good recipe and found one. It looks like a good authentic lamb biryani recipe. Ok fine! It was coz of the name, it felt authentic! GOSHT KI BIRYANI! LOL... Here’s the recipe.

Lamb Biryani Rice

Gosht ki Biryani

Biryani is a rich dish, cooked with a sort of spicy curry, made with meat or chicken or prawns or vegetables or fish. Lamb or mutton biryani is perhaps the most popular of all the biryanies. It can be a meal in itself or can be served as part of an elaborate Indian meal. Do not be put off by the long list of ingredients, it is an easy dish to cook. Make sure that you have all the ingredients, cutting corners spoils the end result.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

750 gm.-1 kg. basmati rice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 litre water for rice
a small sprig of mint leaves
For cooking the the Meat:
1 kg. lamb or mutton leg/shoulder cut into bite size pieces, washed and drained (do not use poor quality meat for this dish)
4-5 tbs. oil or ghee
6 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 inch piece ginger, chopped or grated finely
4 large cardamoms,*
6 green cardamoms*
2 inch piece of cinnamon*
4 bay leaves*
8-10 black pepper corns*
6-8 cloves*
2-3 green chillies- slit length wise. (adjust amount to your taste)
2- 2 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp. chilli powder (adjust amount to your taste)
1/2 cup thick yoghurt
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
1 small bunch of mint leaves, chopped
1 lime or 1/2 lemon, cut into small pieces
A few strands of saffron soaked in a tablespoon of warm water
1 tbs. Ghee or clarified butter
Orange or jalebi food colour Instructions:



























1.	Peel, wash slice onions thinly.
2.	Peel, wash and grate ginger and garlic finely.
3.	Measure all whole spices. Crack brown and green cardamoms a little, by hitting them with a rolling pin. Keep all whole spices together, aside.*
4.	Measure/prepare all other ingredients as listed.
5.	Heat oil/ghee in a large pan and fry onions, until quite dark brown. Take out & keep aside.
6.	In the same oil (if there is too little left, add another tablespoon. or two), add all whole spices (cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, black peppers, bay leaves), ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute or two.
7.	Add meat pieces, salt, chilli powder. Stir fry until meat is nicely browned on all sides.
8.	Add yoghurt, tomatoes, coriander and mint leaves (save a few leaves for boiling rice) , sliced green chillies, pieces of lime and 2/3rd of fried onions, keeping 1/3rd onions aside for garnishing later. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is nearly done and only a little gravy is left. This may take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the cut and quality of meat.
9.	While meat is cooking, boil the water for rice, with a mint & coriander leaves and salt.
10.	Add rice and boil briskly, with lid off, until 2/3rd done (2 grains felt, when rice is pressed and squashed between two fingers).
11.	Drain the water off by transferring the rice to a colander/large sieve. You can run a little cold water over it, to stop the rice from cooking further while resting. Leave in the colander for a few minute, for the water to drain out completely.
12.	Grease a large oven proof dish or a pan and spread 1/3rd of the rice in a layer at the base of the pan. Sprinkle 1/3 rd of the saffron on rice.
13.	Now layer with 1/2 of the meat.
14.	Next, cover with the second 1/3 rd of the rice. Sprinkle 1/2 rd of saffron on top of rice.
15.	Now spread the remaining 1/2 of the meat on top of rice.
16.	Finish with the remaining 1/3rd of the rice layer on top.
17.	Sprinkle the remaining saffron.
18.	Sprinkle fried onions on top. You can spread some of the fried onions on each layer of rice, from step 12 onwards, if you wish. This adds to the flavour.
19.	Dot with a little ghee and a few drops of liquid jalebi (orange) colour here and there (see picture). If dry colour powder is used, dissolve it in a teaspoon of water. These drops of ghee and colour will trickle down into the rice and when you serve, they will give you a nice flavour, as well as a few dark orange coloured rice grains interspersed in the rest of the white rice. This looks very nice when served.
20.	Cover the pan with a tight lid.
21.	Put it in a medium hot oven, 170º-180° C, on the centre shelf, for 20 minutes or so, until the rice is fully done. It can be cooked directly on the hob, on a low flame, with the lid tightly closed. This will take 20-30 minutes.
22.	Serve hot.

Notes

•	If you would like a richer biryani, add another 500 gm. of lamb. Remember to increase all other ingredients, except rice, accordingly.
•	Biryani can be pre-prepared up to step 19, cooled quickly and then kept in the fridge. Do not leave cooked rice lying around at room temperature. Cooking time in oven will be increased by 10 minutes when cooking chilled Biryani from the fridge.
•	Biryani freezes reasonably well. Defrost fully. Sprinkle a little water on top, cover and heat in a microwave, or an ordinary oven at low-medium heat or in a heavy bottomed pan, on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until steaming hot.

FYI, it’s not that hard. Should have a go! There were few ingredients I didn’t have, so I substitute it for example the yoghurt –> sour cream, large or green cardamoms –> I just use the normal cardamoms, black peppercorns –> black pepper powder and chilli powder –> paprika. It was unfortunate I didn’t have saffron coz I think it would've made a difference. But my family loved it, only few comments from them. The biryani was a bit dry and it should’ve been spicier (hot). That’s alright. At least I can put GOSHT KI BIRYANI in my cooking resume! :P