Biriani Recipe

Origin: East Africa      Period: Traditional

Birianis originate in India, however with its admixture of native, Arabic and Indian cultures the Biriani is also a feature of Swahili cuisine.

Ingredients:

1 unripe papaya, peeled de-seeded and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
1.2 kg meat (mutton, beef, goat, chicken or wild boar) cut into serving-sized pieces
500ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt
juice of 2 limes
oil for frying
5 onions, sliced
5 potatoes, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 whole cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
2 pinches salt
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small tin tomato paste
750g rice

Biriani Preparation:

Method:

Add the whole spices to a dry frying pan and toast until aromatic. Tip into a coffee grinder and grind to a paste along with the powdered spices.

Meanwhile grind together the papaya, garlic and ginger and mix into a paste. Add this to a large pot along with the meat, buttermilk and lime juice. Cover and simmer very gently stirring every now and then.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions in hot oil. Once browned remove from the pan and set aside. Add the potatoes to the same oil and fry and when browned remove and set aside. Keep the oil in the frying pan.

Meanwhile add the spices and salt to the meat mixture. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and 2 tbsp oil from the frying pan. Stir and continue to cook over low heat. If the sauce in the pan becomes too thick add a little water.

Cook the rice in the usual way (boil in double the volume of water ie 1.5l of water to 750g rice) and time the rice so that it's done at at the same time as the meat (the rice should take about 25 minutes to cook for basmati-type long-grain rice).

Line the edges of a large baking dish with the slices of fried potatoes (save some for the top) then cover the bottom with a third of the cooked rice. Pour most of the meat mixture over the top (save some to serve with the biriani at the table) then carefully cover the meat mixture with a second layer of rice. Add the onions over the top of the rice then add a third layer of rice. Place the remaining potatoes on top and place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 170°C and allow to cook for 30 minutes.

Serve with the reserved and re-heated meat mixture.

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