Lamb biryani
Create a curry house at home with this tasty Asian dish, great for entertaining and special occasions. Serve with hot naan bread.
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: approx 1 hour, 10 mins
1tbsp oil
4 onions, sliced
750g/2lb boneless leg of lamb, cubed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1½tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 stick cinnamon
3 cardamom pods
8 cloves
8 black peppercorns
1tbsp chilli powder
1tbsp ground coriander
Pinch of salt
1 x 150g carton low-fat natural yogurt
½tsp saffron, soaked in 3tbsp boiling water
450g/1lb basmati rice, cooked according to the pack instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry for 3-4 mins until lightly golden. Remove ¼ of the onion and set aside.
2. Add the lamb, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns to the pan and fry for 8-10 mins until the lamb is lightly browned all over.
3. Stir the chilli powder, ground coriander and salt into 2tbsp of boiling water, then pour into the pan. Cover the pan and cook the meat over a low heat for 40-45 mins until the meat is tender.
4. Add the yogurt to the pan and stir. Meanwhile, place the reserved onion in a pan and continue to fry for 5-6 mins until dark brown.
5. Place a third of the rice into the base of a heavy casserole and drizzle over a little of the saffron mixture. Layer over half of the meat mixture and cover with another third of the rice and sprinkle with a little more saffron mixture. Repeat this, finishing with a layer of rice and drizzling with saffron. Press down lightly and place the onion on top.
6. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 10 mins at 150ºC/300ºF/gas mark 2.
7. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve.
© Diabetes UK. This information has been reproduced from Balance with the kind permission of Diabetes UK, the charity for people with diabetes. For more information on diabetes, call 020 7424 1000 or visit www.diabetes.org.uk and find more recipes on the website.
More recipes:
Lamb jalfrezi
Tandoori lamb with sweet onion raita
Mild to spicy: 50 curry recipes to choose from
Where to next?
Expert help: how to cook rice
Which takeaway is the healthiest?
