Lamb Biryani Easy Recipe (With Cucumber Raita)
We're on a mission to give you easy, family-friendly food recipes that you can make on a budget. Today, I'll be breaking down an Asian staple; the biryani, and showing you how this dish can be prepared easily and within budget.
Preparing the lamb biryani 🐑
First, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Basmati rice: 500g (£1.50)
- Lamb: 500g (£4.00)
- Onions: 2 (£0.30)
- Garlic: 3 cloves (£0.10)
- Ginger: 1 small piece (£0.10)
- Biryani spice mix: 1 packet (£1.00) - or you could make this yourself with ingredients found in your cupboard
- Plain yoghurt: 200g (£0.50)
- Vegetable oil (£0.50)
- Salt and pepper (£0.10)
- Fresh coriander for garnish (£0.50)
And here's how you can combine these ingredients to make a delicious biryani:
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Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Then soak the rice in fresh water for 30 minutes, then drain.
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In a large pot, sauté the sliced onions in oil until they turn golden brown. Add crushed garlic and ginger and cook for a couple more minutes.
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Add the lamb to the pot and brown it on all sides. Add the biryani spice mix (or create your own using red chilli powder, paprika, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamom pods), salt, pepper, and stir well to coat the lamb.
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Add the yoghurt to the pot, mix well, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the lamb is tender.
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In a separate pot, boil your rice until it's 70% cooked, then drain.
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Layer the partially cooked rice over the lamb and cover the pot. Cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes, allowing the flavours to infuse. For optional benefit, add some saffron milk over the top of the rice for even more aroma
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Garnish with fresh coriander before serving.
Preparing the cucumber raita 🥒
Here are the ingredients you'll need for the raita (classic Indian side yoghurt):
- Cucumber: 1 (£0.50)
- Plain yoghurt: 200g (£0.50)
- Fresh mint leaves (£0.20)
- Salt and pepper (£0.10)
And here are the simple instructions to make it:
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Grate the cucumber and squeeze out any excess water.
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In a bowl, combine the yoghurt, grated cucumber, chopped mint leaves, salt, and pepper.
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Mix well, and it's ready to serve! That's it, nice and simple.
And there you have it. Serve onto a platter and watch your whole family dig in. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
"Food for one (person) suffices two, and food for two (persons) suffices four persons and food for four persons suffices eight persons." (Sahih Muslim 2059d)
Always remember that the act of cooking for yourself and for others can be considered as a form of Ibadah or worship of Allah. Feel free to share this recipe and let me know how you get on!
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