Biryani

Biryani (Draft)

Serves 4 (or 2, with enough leftover for next day’s lunch)

400g cooked basmati rice
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 x thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp curry powder (I used mild, but use whichever strength suits your tastebuds)
1 tbsp plain flour
500ml lamb stock
2 tbsp mango chutney
Splash of red wine vinegar (I didn’t have any, so used a splash of red wine instead)
250g leftover lamb meat, chopped

1. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and gently cook the garlic, ginger, onions and chilli until soft, approx 8-10 mins.

2. Add the curry powder and stir through for 1 min. Add the flour and stir through, then cook for 2 mins to cook out the rawness.

3. Increase the heat and gradually add the lamb stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 mins, until the sauce has reduced slightly.

4. Stir in the mango chutney, the vinegar, then the lamb.  Stir to combine.

5. Strain the lamb stew through a sieve into a small saucepan to give you a rich thick gravy. Reserve the gravy for step 8.

6. In a deep baking dish, add a layer of half the cooked rice, followed by a layer of the lamb stew. Add another layer using the rest of the rice. Cover the dish with foil.

7. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and cook the biryani for 30 mins until piping hot.

8. Heat the gravy on the hob. Plate up the biryani and drizzle over the gravy. Serve with fresh coriander and yogurt, if desired.