Oven-Baked Lamb Biriyani

, from Issue #49. August, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Oven-Baked Lamb Biriyani

This quick cooking version of a popular Indian rice dish is ideal for weeknight dinners and any leftovers are great heated for lunch the next day.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Lamb
700 grams boneless lamb leg steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons each ground cumin and coriander
¼ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and turmeric
2 cloves garlic, crushed

To cook
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1¼ cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2½ cups chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve
½ cup thick plain yoghurt
½ cup thick coconut cream
crispy roasted shallots
fresh coriander

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150˚C.

Lamb: Trim the lamb of any fat and sinew and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the oil, ginger, all the spices and the garlic in a large bowl and add the lamb, turning to coat well in the spice paste. The lamb can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours but bring back to room temperature before cooking.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof casserole dish and cook the onions with the cinnamon stick and a good pinch of salt until tender. Add the meat and all the marinade and cook gently for a few minutes to cook off the spices. Don’t boil the meat or it will be tough. Add the rice and the stock, season and bring to the boil. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave covered for 5 minutes.

To serve: Combine the yoghurt and coconut cream in a bowl. Fluff up the rice and lamb with a fork and serve with the yoghurt sauce, crispy shallots and coriander.