Lamb Biryani

Lamb Biryani is my comfort food. It's something that I can prepare in a short amount of time and always rely on to be delicious and filling.

Biryani is a rice-based dish commonly eaten in India and the Middle East. It usually consists of meat, vegetables and spices which are cooked in a light tomato sauce.

For the sauce, I use whole canned tomatoes which I roughly chop. I also like to add green beans and lots of fresh mint, parsley and cilantro. Just before serving I usually squeeze some lemon juice over the biryani -- this balances the richness of the lamb and tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 500 gms of lean ground lamb
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
• A bunch of green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A handful of fresh mint, cilantro & parsley, finely chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups of basmati rice
• Scant 3 cups of water
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cook the basmati rice with just under 3 cups of water in a rice cooker. If you are cooking rice on the stove, place it in a pot with the water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and cover the pot. Cook the rice for 10-12 minutes or until done.
2. Once the rice is ready, put it straight in the fridge so that it cools down and dries out.
3. Saute the onion in a medium saucepan over a moderate heat until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the spices including the cinnamon stick and fry for 2-3 minutes to release the oils. Stir well.
5. Add the ground lamb and break it up with a wooden spoon. Stir well to coat lamb in the spices. Add the salt. Lower the heat slightly and cook lamb for about 7 minutes or until browned.
6. Add the chopped canned tomatoes and about 300ml of the sauce from the can. Stir well and then add the green beans.
7. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes.
8. Carefully combine the lamb mixture with the rice and mix thoroughly to coat it.
9. Squeeze some lemon juice over the biryani and stir well.
10. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.