Mum's Biryani - Lamb or Chicken
My Mum's Biryani is. to. die. for. It is loved by all 6 of us siblings and our friends too. It is vibrant, aromatic and full of rich aromatic flavour. You can use either Lamb, Chicken or Veg in this recipe.
Ingredients
Saffron Milk
- Few strands Saffron
- 100 ml Milk lighlty warmed
Potatoes
- Oil For deep frying
- 5 Potatoes Peeled and chopped into 3cm cubes
Lamb
- 2.5 kg Lamb Shoulder Cut into 1 inch pieces, Bone in
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 Peppercorns
- 3 Cloves
- 4 Cardamom Pods Lightly cracked open
- ½ Onion Roughly chopped
- Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ginger Paste
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Paste
Curry
- 150 ml Vegetable or Sunflower Oil
- 6 Onions Sliced finely
- 2 Cardamom Pods
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks Small
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Star Anise Optional
- 1 ½ tbsp Dry Fenugreek or use small handful fresh Fenugreek Leaves
- 3 tsp Ginger Paste
- 3 tsp Garlic Paste
- 3 tsp Green Chili Paste
- 800 g Tomato tin Pureed
- 2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 2 - 3 tsp Salt Adjust to your taste
- 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 2 tsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tsp Mace
Rice
- 10 cups Rice
- Enough boiled water to cover the rice plus 1 - 2 inches Around 20 cups
- 1/2 Onion diced
- 4 Peppercorns
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cardamom Pods crushed
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Paste
- 1/4 tsp Ginger Paste
- Salt
Toppings
- Handful Coriander Leaves Chopped
- Handful Fried Onions
- Orange Powdered Food colour
Instructions
Saffron Milk
- Soak Saffron in Milk and set aside.
Potatoes
- Heat OIl. Once hot, deep Fry Potatoes till golden brown then drain on kitchen paper.
Lamb
- Boil meat with whole Spices (Cinnamon Sticks, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, Cloves, Cardamom) Onion, Salt, Ginger and Garlic until tender. In this case it was lamb that took 45 - 50 minutes to become tender. (Test with fingers). I did not add water but keep checking to see if water is needed.
Curry
- Heat Oil. Once hot add Onions. Brown Onions with whole spices (Cardmom, Cinnamon, Bay Leave, Star Anise) until a deep golden brown.
- Add Fenugreek, Garlic, Ginger, Green Chilli and cook until fragrant.
- Next add pureed Tomatoes, Cumin Powder, Corainder Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Salt, Turmeric Powder, Ground Cardamom, Fennel Powder, Garam Masala Powder and Mace.
- Cook for 7 - 10 minutes on high.
- Add the meat. Cook covered on low until the oil separates out at the sides. About 20 minutes. Add the Potatoes
Rice
- Meanwhile par cook the rice with all the ingredients listed underneath the 'Rice' section - around 10 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
Layer
- Add foil to bottom layer of pot. Layer the Rice and meat in alternate layers adding blobs of butter, fried onions, saffron and coriander in between until everything is used up.
- Add some colour to the final layer if you wish by diluting powdered colour in water and sprinkling over the top of the rice.
- Cover the pot with a layer of foil and a lid and cook over a low heat for about 1 hour. You can also do this in the oven.
Notes
top tips and notes
Whole Garam Masala – Cooking this in the oil with the onions makes the most of it’s flavour and aroma. Slow Cooking – Take your time with each layer because this is what makes it so special! Caramelising onions – means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them but keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Whole Garam Masala – Cooking this in the oil with the onions maximises it’s flavour and aroma. Rice – I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I like Tilda or Mustafa rice because it is less likely to clump together. Salt – I only add salt to the chicken layer here and that may seem odd but it works fine. Taste as you go – Once the chicken layer is done, taste it and adjust before layering. Kewra Water – A lot of people, add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it. Eggs – You can add serve this Biryani with boiled eggs. Serve – This recipe is perfect served with Papadum, Pickles (Achaar), Kacumbur (Salad) and Raita. I love this Onion one.reheating and storing biryani
This Biryani lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated.How to make a smaller quantity - for 6
Ingredient quantities for 6: Saffron Milk 4 strands Saffron 30 ml Milk Potatoes Oil for deep frying 2 Potatoes peeled and chopped into 3 cm cubes Lamb 1 kg Lamb Shoulder 1 Cinnamon Stick 1 Bay Leaf 2 Cloves 2 Cardamom Pods Salt 1 tsp crushed Ginger 1 tsp crushed Garlic Curry 2 tbsp Oil 1 large Onion Large pinch Fenugreek 1 tsp crushed Ginger 1 tsp crushed Garlic 1 tsp crushed Green Chilli 240g Pureed Plum Tomatoes 1 tsp Ground Coriander 1 tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Ground Red Chilli Salt 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric 1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom 1/4 tsp Ground Fennel 1/4 tsp Ground Garam Masala 1/8 tsp Ground Mace Rice 3 cups Rice 6 cups Water 1/4 Onion, diced 1 Peppercorn 1 Clove 1 Bay Leaf 1 Cinnamon Stick 1 Cardamom Pod 3/4 tsp crushed Garlic 3/4 tsp crushed Ginger Salt Instructions The instructions for the smaller quantity remains the same but you will need to cook it for less time once covered with foil. (20 - 30 minutes).Nutrition
Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 24gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 647mgPotassium: 517mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 349IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg
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