Beef biriyani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This rich and aromatic meal is inspired from a Pakistani restaurant . Tender steak cubes cooked in a beautifully thickened spicy gravy, served over fragrant basmati rice makes the beef biryani a meal to remember.

Marination Ingredients

Beef steak - 500 preferably rump steak or fillet, cubed

plain yogourt -1/2 cup , whipped

salt -1 tsp.

Oil -1 tbsp

garlic paste -1 tbsp.

ginger paste-1 tbsp.

tomato puree/paste -1 tbsp.

cumin- 1 tsp.

saffron -1 tsp. pinch

red chilli powder/chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp

black pepper -5 peppercones

cloves -2

cardamom -2 

bay leaf-1

lemon juice - of half alemon

chopped coriander -2 tbsp

green chilli, chopped -1

turmeric powder -1/4 tsp 

 

Mix the steak cubes with the rest of the marination ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Masala Ingredients

4 tbsp. oil

4 onions, sliced and fried until golden, then crushed

3 tomatoes, cubed

1/4 tsp. garlic paste

1/4 tsp. ginger paste

1 cinnamon stick

2 green chillis, chopped

1/4 cup fresh plain yoghurt, whipped

1 tbsp. tomato puree/paste

1 tsp. sugar (to cut the acidity from the tomatoes)

2 1/2 - 3 cups water

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered, then fried until tender

salt to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pot, add the tomatoes and cook until they are mushy and oil begins to separate from them. Add the ginger and garlic paste, followed by the cinnamon stick and chopped green chillies and cook the mixture for a few seconds then add the marinated steak. Fry on high heat for 3 minutes.

In the meantime, in a bowl, mix the yoghurt with the crushed fried onions, tomato puree, sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Pour this mixture into the pan and cook until the gravy is dry. Add the water, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Allow to simmer and cook gently for 15-20 minutes or until the beef is tender and the gravy is thick.

Taste and adjust salt and spice. Add the fried potatoes and give it a mix.

Ingredients for Rice

 rice -2 cups, long grain basmati (wash/rinse the rice well and then soak in water for 30 minutes)

cardamom pods -2

cinnamon sticks -1

cloves -2

Oil -4 tbsp

a few strands of saffron and/or orange food colouring (soak the saffron in some warm water and mix the food colouring in a bit of water)

salt as required

Rice Recipe

Bring a big pot of water(1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of rice) to boil, add salt, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and cloves plus 2 tbsp of oil.

Drain the 30 minutes pre-soaked rice and add it to this water when it is boiling. Cook until the rice is about almost done and turn off the heat.Keep it closed so that the rest of the cooking can be done in leftover steam.

Sprinkle a handful of fried onions and some chopped fresh coriander. Then drizzle about 2 tbsp. of oil and the saffron water over the rice. Add the food colouring on one side and mix it up a bit with a spoon and then cover the pot tightly.

Serve hot, topped with beef masala/gravy and garnished with more fried onions, chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chillies!