Lamb biryani version 1

Byriani recipe by Jean at Christmas for 4

Ingredients:

• Lamb: x 2 lamb legs cut in 1 in pieces
• Yogurt: x 2 cups
• Onions: x 10 or 1.25 kg
• Cinnamon: x 2 sticks
• Cloves: x 4-5
• Garlic: x 2 teaspoons
• Ginger: x 2 teaspoons
• Potatoes: x 6 cut in halves or quarters (choice)
• Rice: x 1.5 cups
• Tomatoes: x 1 tin
• Milk: 2 tablespoons
• Orange coloring: x 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• Salt: x 1 teaspoon

1. Mix yogurt, lamb, cinnamon, cloves, tomato, salt
2. Leave the mixture in the fridge for 1 night
3. Fry the onions (cut in half moon slices) and potatoes and leave aside.
4. Remove the mixture from the fridge and place it in a very large pot and heat it until it is boiling
5. Let the mixture cook at simmering heat for several hours (1 or 2) until the meat is soft and tender
6. Once the meat is cooked, add the fried onions and reduce heat
7. Prepare the rice normally
8. Remove the water from the rice using a strainer and add all the rice to the pot with the sauce and meat (on top)
9. Flatten and compress rice onto the sauce and make 6-7 deep holes with your finger in the rice
10. Heat the milk and mix it with the orange coloring
11. Add the coloured milk to the rice through the holes you made
12. Cover pot over very low heat
13. Serve with katchumber

If you are serving for 15 people multiply the ingredients by 4 (will give you enough for 16 people!).  

Lamb byriani version 2

Mix 2 cups of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 tbsp of garlic paste, cinnamon, turmeric, chicken stock (1/2 cup), salt with lamb (1kg in cubes). Let marinate in fridge 10-12 hrs.

Fry 5-7 medium onions in vegetable oil, with a little ghee, cinnamon, cumin seeds until golden brown (onions should be in half rings and same thickness). Dry and set aside. 

Fry 4 halved and peeled potatoes in the oil until golden brown. Set aside.

After marinating, put meat in a deep pot with ½ cup of the oil used for onions. Place on fire to medium high heat. Stir and bring to boil.

Add ¾ cup of crushed tomato (from a can), salt, chili flakes (or cayenne pepper), 1 big hand of coarsely chopped coriander, ¼ cup saffron milk, and the fried potatoes. Let the whole thing cook at low heat for 2-3 hours. 

After 1 hr add ¾ of all the fried onions as small insertions into the sauce.

1 hour before serving, soak 2 cups of rice in water for 30 mins. Remove water after 30mins. Using a sieve, drain out the water. 

In a separate large pot to make the meat/rice mix: add a 2 inch layer of the meat and sauce. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to boil then add rice/saffron milk/1 handful of the fried onions. Add orange coloring. Seal the pot with a sheet of aluminum foil. Reduce to low heat for 30 mins.

Serve in a large bowl with katchumber.

Byriani version 3

Note: All the oil can be replaced by ghee. TASTIER.

MUTTON/LAMB BYRIANI (SERVES 6-8)

Mix all of this!

• 2 kg of Leg of lamb
• 4 sticks of cinnamon long and thick
• 12 Cloves
• 8 pods of cardammon (exposed grains/skin)
• ¾ tbsp of garlic
• 1 ½  tbsp ginger
• thick pinch of saffron (crushed with fingers)
• 3-4 teaspoons of salt
• 0.5L of yogurt (normal)
• 4 tsp of Danhia(coriander) /Jeera (Cumin)  mix powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Some black pepper and crushed (1/2 tsp) red chilli

Leave for 4h or overnight then:

• Add 2 tsp chicken stock
• 70g tomato paste
• Add tomato sauce according to color and water level ( < ½  tin)

Now 4 BIG ONIONS half rings and microwave to get rid of the water, takes less time!  – Cut and fry till golden brown and leave aside (add salt)

• Keep the oil aside for potatoes
• Soak potatoes in water (orange coloring)
• Fry the potatoes in onion oil until golden-brown then reduce to low heat to cook potatoes

Cook marinated lamb in very high heat AND lower the temperature so that it boils

• Add 1 bay leaf
• Add juice of 1 lemon
• Add almost all the fried onions and potatoes so that you fill in the pockets

Aside:

Take 2 tsp powdered garam masala and dilute into hot water (with extra cinnamon ½ tsp). Mix it in well.

• Add the garam masala into the pot of marinated lamb. Stir it in completely. Taste it.

READY!

 Serve with pilau rice and kachumber

PILAU RICE:

• 8 people = 3 cups
• Soak into water/ add 2 tsp salt For 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 5 cardammon grains
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp crushed garlic
• make a “3 tbsp milk + pinch of saffron” mixture: SOAK for 2-3h

• HIGH Heat 2 tbsp of the onion oil
• Add ingredients

• Add rice and lower the heat to medium-low/ gently stir to not break the rice for 2-3 mins.
• Add 4 cups of water
• Add more cumin seeds
• Add 3 tbsp of salt
• Place lid to seal the vapor and the rice will cook
• After 5 mins open and stir it once then add ½ cup of water.
• Add the cup of fried onions
• Add orange food colouring + saffron/milk mixture into holes dug into the rice 
• Increase heat slightly.
• Wait 10 mins and insert into oven (180º). 

READY!

Chapatis

• 2 cups of Atta Durum Flour
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ordinary oil
• add water according to consistency

• Leave outside for ½ hour 
• Insert oil and flour into balls of dough
• Place into pan and watch it swell (swelling is a sign of good chapattis)
• Butter the top of each chapatti

Violeta Chocolate Cake

• 8 spoons of sugar
• 8 spoons of flour
• 8 eggs
• 1 small spoon of vanilla
• 1 small spoon of baking powder
• 200g of Cote D’Or chocolate
• ¾ pack of butter (unsalted)

Mix sugar and eggs with vanilla and sugar and eggs with vanilla add flour.

Separately:  Melt the chocolate and butter together (bain marie)

Mix in everything together

Place it in a baking pan and place into oven at 180 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes

Dolly Chicken Curry – November 9^th 2010

For 5-6 people

1. 5 drumsticks
2. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon
3. Crush 4 cloves of garlic and 1 inch of ginger
4. Add salt
5. Add 2 tbsp of yogurt
6. Marinate the above for 30 mins
7. Parboil 4-5 small potatoes in salt and garlic.
8. Chop 1 big onion. NOT TOO FINELY
9. Fry slowly in 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil
10. Add filtered, plain peeled Italian tomatoes that you crushed before-hand when onions are golden. Use a sieve to drain the tomatoes from the juice, which you keep on the side.
11. Add garam masala & curry powder. HOW MUCH?
12. Stir everything until masala is cooked.
13. Add chicken
14. Pour in tomato juice
15. Add ½ bunch of freshly chopped coriander
16. Add parboiled potatoes
17. Taste for lemon and spiciness
18. Let cook for 20 mins

Dolly Pilau – November 9^th 2010

For 5-6 people

1. Chop 1 big onion
2. Marinate 1 full chicken in garlic + ginger + salt + 1 tbsp of yogurt
3. Soak 1 mug of rice per 4 pieces of chicken
4. 1 tbsp of cumin seed + 4-5 cloves + 5-6 cardamom + 10 black peppers + 2 sticks of cinnamon. Keep in plate
5. Heat oil (6 tbsp of canola oil). Not smoking hot but pretty hot!
6. Add cumin + whole garam masala. Stir for 30 secs + add onions
7. Get 1 big potato into 8 pieces
8. Fry in oil
9. Add 1 small, chopped tomato a nd 2 whole green chillies
10. Add chicken -> keep frying
11. Add 1 cup of rice (that you had soaked 20 mins ago)
12. Add 1 mug of cold water. CHECK FOR WATER LEVEL. (1 cup of basmati rice for 1.5 cups of water)
13. Check for salt
14. Once water boils turn heat to low.
15. Taste for salt, cover it & seal it with paper foil
16. Leave at low temperature for 20-30 mins and put into oven (350°F)

LAMB CURRY (serves 6)

à la Dolly!

Mix #1:

• Cut the lamb into chunky pieces (use preferably lamb shank)
• place into a big saucer and add: 
• 6 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp of crushed ginger
• 1 tbsp of salt
• Juice from 1 tin can of peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp normal yogurt
• Boil softly the big saucer (the longer the better)

• Fry onions (how many?) until golden brown in cooking oil

Mix #2:

• Rest of peeled tomatoes
• 1 fresh tomato
• ½ tsp of turmeric
• 1 tbsp of coriander powder
• 1 tbsp of cumin powder
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3-4 cloves
• pinch of cardammon

Add Mix #2 to the fried onions and fry gently (make sure the tomatoes get crushed)

• add fresh coriander (chopped)
• add water 1/3 cup

Pour the mix into the marinating lamb saucer. Scrub it all off with water!

• add salt and lemon to taste
• Add small potatoes last when the meat is ¾ cooked (about 1hr 15mins)
• Add fresh coriander (chopped) AND READY! 

• (taste potatoes to see if they are cooked)

Parvin recipes – September 2011

Seabass/Halibut with tomato sauce (serves 4)

On a large frying pan that has a cover:

1. Heat to medium high heat
2. Coat with olive oil
3. Add diced tomatoes (small) (2 pints or 2 handfuls)
4. Add basil leaves and garlic cloves (4 cloved sliced)
5. Add a pinch of chilli flakes

Place 4 fish fillets (should be no more than 1 inch thick) on top of sauce and cover the pan -> let steam for 5-10 mins

Ready!

Roast vegetables (serves 3)

1. Heat oven to 200C, roast vegetables (1 zucchini sliced lengthwise/3 unseeded peppers (can be red, yellow or green) sliced lengthwise/ 8 asparagus/ half of aubergine sliced lengthwise) for 15 mins on a large flat surface.
2. In a large bowl mix: 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, garlic (2 crushed cloves), herb of choice: basil/oregano or thyme, pinch of chilli flakes, juice of 1 lemon.
3. When slightly burnt and soft, add roasted vegetables to the large bowl and toss around.
4. Serve at room temperature.

Ready!

Roast chicken (1 chicken)

1. Chicken coating: 100g softened unsalted butter, pinch of chilli flakes, 2 tbsps of olive oil, 4 garlic cloves, juice of 1 lemon, 1 small bunch fresh thyme or rosemary. Blend and add salt and pepper according to taste.
2. Cover entire chicken with the butter mixture under the skin, on the breast and inside the chicken (use high quality chicken).
3. Let marinate for 2-3 hours.
4. Place in oven at 200C for 5 mins then lower the temperature to 170C for another 55mins.
5. Remove the chicken after the hour has passed.

Ready!

Reference books

• Any by Gordon Ramsay i.e. Sunday Lunch
• River Café Cookbook
• Jamie Oliver at Home
• Ottolenghi book

Wild Rice

Serves 8

• Fry Cumin seeds

Add:

• 1 chopped small onion
• 1 crushed garlic clove

Fry 3 cups of wild rice in that mix 

• Add double the amount of water (6 cups)
• Salt to taste
• Heat it to a boil and immediately turn the heat to LOW
• Close lid with aluminum foil

Wait 30 mins and place into oven. READY!