Biryani: Indian Spiced Rice (બીરયાની)

INDIAN SPICED RICE

INDIAN SPICED RICE

The Gujarati Kitchen

Servings

4

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Biryani is an Indian dish that includes rice and either lamb, chicken or vegetables infused with beautiful spices and served with a yoghurt sauce. Known as the 'royal' dish amongst all the exotic rice dishes.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick, broken
  • 1 whole star anise, broken
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons clarified butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon fresh green chilli, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 500 gms lamb shoulder chop, diced, *
  • 1 large potato, 1cm sized cubes
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup tomatoes, blended, tinned or fresh
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 1/2 cup orange lentils

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 180°C fan bake. In a large saucepan heat oil on a medium heat.

  2. Add cloves, cinnamon and star anise for 1 minute or until darkened. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned.

  3. Add clarified butter, chilli, garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric and garam masala. Stir paste to infuse masala. Add meat and potatoes, simmer for 7-10 minutes on medium heat.

  4. Add water and tomatoes, simmer for 6 minutes. Add rice and lentils. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Empty into a casserole dish, and cover with foil. Bake on 180°C for 20 minutes or until rice has cooked.

Biryani: the royal rice dish

Biryani is an Indian dish of rice with lamb, chicken or vegetables, infused with beautiful spices and served with a yoghurt sauce. It's known as the 'royal' dish amongst all the exotic rice dishes, and in our house it's the one pot wonder that comes out when the family is together.

Mum's version starts on the stovetop with whole cloves, cinnamon and star anise, adds orange lentils for extra body, and finishes in the oven so the rice cooks evenly and soaks up all the masala.

Tips for the best biryani

  • Toast the whole spices first. Give the cloves, cinnamon and star anise a minute in the hot oil until they darken. This is where the biryani's aroma comes from.
  • Take your time with the onions. Let them properly brown before adding the masala. See our guide to the best way to fry onions for a curry.
  • Make it your way. Lamb shoulder is our favourite, but chicken or vegetables work just as well.
  • Keep it covered in the oven. Seal the casserole dish tightly with foil so the steam stays in and the rice cooks through.

What to serve with biryani

Serve hot with a cool yoghurt sauce or cucumber dip. You'll find both in our cookbook. A fresh coriander chutney on the side is lovely too.

Made this recipe? Tag us on Instagram @the.gujarati.kitchen. We'd love to see your biryani!

Love this recipe? You'll find more of our family favourites in our award-winning cookbook, A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That.
Over 100 Gujarati dishes Mum has cooked for our family for decades, finally written down with exact measurements.
Get your copy of the cookbook here →
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Hands holding the Gujarati cookbook A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That on a table with chai

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