5 minute read
Mixing Bowl
COMPLEX FLAVOR Biryani is not a simple dish but it will fill your kitchen with the provocative scents of onions, herbs and spices.
A most fragrant kitchen
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By SARAH RINGLER
One-dish meat and rice dishes are eaten around the world. Biryani is a complicated version full of onions, herbs and spices. There are many claims to its origin but according to Wikipedia, it’s a Persian and Indian dish that goes back to medieval times. The name comes from the Persian word that means “fried before cooking.”
It has always been my favorite dish at Indian restaurants and I was curious how it was made. It’s a lengthy process and one of those recipes that conjure up past times where women would cook all day over a hot stove. This recipe actually starts the day before as the meat needs to be marinated overnight. The smells that emanate from preparing this dish are an experience in themselves. Lamb is my favorite meat for biryani although chicken, shrimp, goat, fish and beef can also be used.
There are many different versions and you will probably create your own if you, like me, ➝ 7
freely substitute ingredients as needed. This recipe was adapted from “Tejal Rao’s Indian Essentials” from the March 11, New York Times.
Fried onions—this recipe calls for four whole onions—are an important ingredient alongside the meat and rice. The complex flavor comes from large amounts of herbs and spices.
At Indian restaurants I have gone to, the dish often has raisins and pine nuts added to the rice mixture and is a dark red color that comes from the Kashmiri chili powder. I had to substitute that ingredient.
SINDHI-STYLE BIRYANI
Lamb or chicken marinade:
4 green serrano chiles – stems removed 8 garlic cloves 1 4-inch piece of ginger, peeled 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered 1 cup full fat yogurt 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Cooking the meat:
2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or chops cut into chunks 1 large cinnamon stick 12 whole black peppercorns 6 cloves 6 green cardamom pods 1 tablespoon garam masala, or mixture of ground cloves, cinnamon and cardamom
Fried onions:
1 cup cooking oil 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Rice:
3 cups basmati rice
Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads 2 cups mixed and chopped fresh cilantro and mint leaves 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, sliced
Prepare the marinade for the lamb. Put the serrano chilis, garlic and ginger in a food processor and finely chop. Add onions and tomatoes, and process until smooth. Add mint and cilantro and pulse to chop. Put the mixture into a bowl with the yogurt, coriander, cumin, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Add the chunks of lamb and mix well. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Prepare the crisply fried onions by first thinly slicing the onions. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until brown for about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions and place to drain on paper towels. Pull the onions apart to separate them.
To the same pan of hot oil, over medium heat, add the cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves and cardamom. Stir about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the meat and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook until meat is done and the sauce is very thick in about 2 1/2 hours. Stir in the garam masala or equivalent spices, and add more chili powder, if necessary. Taste, add salt and adjust flavors.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the rice by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water boils, stir in the rice. Cook for 3 minutes only, then drain in a colander. Run some cold water over the rice, drain, and set aside.
Prepare the saffron milk by warming the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the milk starts to steam, remove it from the stove and crumble in the saffron. Set aside.
In a large, lidded pot, spread about 1/3 of the meat mixture in an even layer on the bottom. Sprinkle lightly with 1/3 of the cilantro and mint leaf mixture, and 1/3 third of the rice. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the saffron milk and then 1/3 of the fried onions. Repeat for the next two layers. Top with the butter and cover with a layer of aluminum foil.
Put the lid on the pot and bake for about an hour. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
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