Brilliant Lamb Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients

150g white basmati rice
450ml boiling water
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
A thumb of ginger
1 chilli
2 tomatoes
2 tbsp olive, sunflower or coconut oil
250g diced lamb leg
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp tikka masala spices
1 tsp turmeric
100g baby leaf spinach
A handful of coriander, leaves only
1 pomegranate

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 35 mins

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Method

1. Heat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Tip the rice into a small pan and cover with 300ml boiling water. Pop on a lid and return to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Drain well and set aside.

2. While the rice cooks, peel 1 of the onions and finely chop it. Peel and crush or finely grate the garlic. Peel and grate the ginger. Halve the chilli, scraping out the white pith and seeds for less heat, and finely chop the chilli. Finely chop the tomatoes.

3. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a medium ovenproof pan (pan not ovenproof? See our tip at the end) and warm it on a high heat. Add the lamb and fry for 5 mins, turning once or twice, till browned. Scoop out of the pan into a bowl and set aside.

4. Turn the heat down to medium and add a little more oil to the pan if needed. Add the onion and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 3 mins, stirring occasionally, till softened. Stir in 1 tbsp of the tikka masala spice blend, 1 tsp turmeric and the garlic, ginger and chilli. Continue to cook for 1 min, till fragrant.

5. Add the lamb back into the pan and add the tomatoes and baby leaf spinach. Stir till the spinach is wilted then take the pan off the heat.

6. Add the rice to the pan and stir to mix. Flatten the surface of the rice with a spoon and pour over 150ml boiling water. Pop a lid on the pan and slide it into the oven to bake for 20 mins. After 20 mins, remove the lid from the pan and return to the oven. Cook for another 5 mins.

7. While the biriyani cooks, peel and thinly slice the remaining onion. Pop the slices in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp tikka spice mix. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan and warm it on a high heat. Add the onion and fry for 5-6 mins, stirring frequently, till golden and crisp at the edges. Scoop out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.

8. Roughly chop the coriander leaves. Cut the pomegranate in half. Hold 1 half in your hand, cut-side down, and whack it with a wooden spoon. The seeds should fall through your fingers. Catch them in a bowl and repeat with the other half.

9. Spoon the biriyani onto warm plates and top with the spiced onions, pink pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves to serve.

10. No ovenproof pan? When the lamb, vegetables and rice are mixed together in step 6, simply spoon everything into an ovenproof casserole dish. Pour over the boiling water and simply cover with a layer of kitchen foil before sliding into the oven.