Ingredients
Lamb biryani:
• 1kg stewing lamb, cubed
• 1 cup (250ml) full-cream yoghurt
• 2 tbsp (30ml) garlic, ginger and dhania paste (if you don’t have a ready made paste, use 4 cloves garlic, 5cm-knob grated ginger and a handful of chopped fresh coriander)
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp (15ml) garam masala
• 1 tsp (5ml) turmeric
• 1 tsp (5ml) ground cumin
• 4 cardamom pods
• 10 curry leaves, more if you like
• Oil, for frying
• 1 can (410g) chopped tomatoes
• 4 onions, sliced
• ¼ cup (60ml) ghee, and extra for dotting
• 2 cups (500ml) basmati rice
• 1 cup (250ml) brown lentils
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup (250ml) warm milk
• ½ tsp (3ml) saffron strands
• Salt and milled pepper
Dried apricot chutney:
• Oil, for frying
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5cm-knob ginger, grated
• 1 whole chilli
• 500g dried apricots and peaches, roughly chopped
• 3 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 tsp (10ml) coriander seeds
• 1/3 cup (83ml) sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) vinegar
• Water, as needed
• Salt and pepper
• Raisins, optional
Preparation method
Lamb biryani:
- Marinate lamb in yoghurt, chilli and spices for at least 2 hours, longer if you can.
- Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and brown lamb.
- Add remaining marinade and tomatoes. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat is tender.
- Season well with salt and pepper.
- In a separate pan, slowly caramelise the onion in the ghee, until a deep golden brown.
- Cook rice and lentils according to the packet instructions. Mix together.
- Steep saffron in milk.
- Layer lamb, rice and onion in a large ovenproof dish.
- Add the cinnamon sticks and extra curry leaves as you go.
- Repeat until the final layer is the lentil and rice mix.
- Pour the saffron milk over the biryani.
- Dot with ghee, cover and bake at 160ºC for 45 minutes.
Dried apricot chutney:
- Heat oil and fry onion, garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes.
- Add chilli, fruit and spices and toss to coat.
- Add sugar and vinegar, and season to taste.
- Simmer until softened, adding water as necessary until fruit is soft.
- Taste as you go, and add extra sugar and vinegar as needed.
- Add a handful or two of raisins, if you like.
- Spoon into sterilized jars and serve as needed.