Bhed Biryani Recipe
Lamb / Bhed Biryani
Spiced Basmati Rice and Lamb
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
2 lbs Boneless Leg of Lamb (Bhed) - trimmed and cut into 1 inch ‘cubes’
Marinade:
1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Dahi)
6-8 cloves Fresh Garlic (Leh-sun) - grated into a paste
2 inch piece Fresh Ginger (Adrak) - grated into a paste
1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt (Namak)
Biryani:
6 Tbs Ghee
- divided
2 Large Onions (Pyaz) - halved and thin sliced
5 Green Cardamom Pods (Choti Elaichi) - divided
2-inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
4 Whole Cloves (Luang)
2 Bay Leaves (Tej Patta)
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kashmiri Chile Powder (Kashmiri Mirchi)
½ tsp Ground Mace (Javitri)
½ tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
1 Cup Water - can use lamb, chicken, or vegetable stock if desired
1 Cup Fresh Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) - chopped
½ Cup Fresh Mint Leaves (Pudina Patta) - chopped
1 Fresh Green Chile (Hari Mirch) – minced
2 cups Basmati Rice (Chawal)
6-8 Whole Black Peppercorns (Kali Mirch)
Juice of 2 Lemons (Nimbu)
1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt (Namak)
¼ Cup Whole Milk (Doodh)
⅛ tsp Saffron Threads (Kesar)
-OPTIONAL-
2 tsp Rosewater (Gulab Jal)
Preparation:
Marinade:
- Place all the ‘Marinade’ ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined and smooth - add the trimmed and ‘cubed’ lamb to the mixture and fold together until the lamb pieces are well coated on all sides
- Cover (or transfer to a large zip top bag) and place in the refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours (overnight for better results)
Biryani:
- Heat the ¼ Cup ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until shimmering - Once ghee is hot, add the onions along with a generous pinch of salt - Sauté until onions are caramelized and dark brown (apx 30-45 minutes)
- Reduce heat to low - Transfer half of the caramelized onions to a bowl and set aside until needed
- Add 3 of the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, garam masala, Kashmiri chile powder, mace, and turmeric - Sauté until very fragrant (apx 1 minute)
- Add the lamb and its marinade - Thoroughly combine
- Add the water, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and green chile - Thoroughly combine
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil - Reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) until lamb is tender (apx 35 minutes)
- While the lamb cooks, rinse your rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear - Transfer to a medium bowl and add enough clean water to cover by at least 2 inches - Set aside to soak for 30 minutes
- Preheat oven to 350°F - Warm milk and add the saffron threads - Set aside until needed
- Heat the remaining 2 Tbs of ghee in a medium/large pan over medium heat until shimmering - Add the remaining 2 green cardamom pods, and peppercorns - Sauté for 30-45 seconds
- Drain your rice and transfer to the pan (CAREFUL! It will steam and sputter!) - Continue to sauté for 1 minute
- Add 4 Cups water, the lemon juice, and 1 ½ tsp salt - Increase heat to high and bring to a boil - Allow to boil for 2 minutes - Remove from heat and drain (we are only partially cooking the rice in this step, it will finish cooking once the biryani is fully assembled)
- At this point, your lamb should be nice and tender - Remove lid, increase heat to medium, and allow to cook (stirring frequently) until the liquid is reduced and thickened (apx 5 minutes)
- Remove from heat and spread the par-cooked rice in an even layer over the meat in the Dutch oven - Drizzle the saffron/milk and rose water (if using) over the rice - Spread the reserved caramelized onions (from step 4) over the top - Tightly cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil and place on the lid - Place in center of oven and allow to bake (undisturbed) for 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes - Carefully remove the foil and, using a fork, gently ‘fluff’ the rice
- Serve immediately right from the Dutch oven or transfer to a serving dish and serve alongside chapatti or naan, raita, chutney(s), and salad of choice
