Biryani Decoded: My Easy Guide 🙌 | Marion's Kitchen

lamb

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: beef

Chicken is leaner and beef is often less expensive.

basmati rice

🥗Healthier: brown rice

💰Cheaper: regular long-grain rice

Brown rice adds fiber while regular rice is budget-friendly.

yogurt

🥗Healthier: coconut yogurt

💰Cheaper: sour cream

Coconut yogurt is dairy-free and sour cream is often less costly.

saffron

🥗Healthier: turmeric

💰Cheaper: yellow food coloring

Turmeric provides color and flavor at a lower cost.

Pound ginger, garlic, green chili, and salt until smooth in a large bowl.

Add ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric, kashmiri chili powder, and yogurt to the bowl and mix well.

Cut lamb into large chunks and add to the marinade, ensuring it is well coated. Marinate for at least 2 hours.

In a pan, add the marinated lamb and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low, cooking for about 2 hours until tender.

Fry sliced red onions in hot oil until deeply golden and crispy, which takes about 10 minutes, then drain on paper towels.

Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes, then drain.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil with cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and salt.

Add the soaked rice to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, then strain the rice, keeping the spices.

Bloom saffron in warm milk by gently heating it and letting it sit for 15 minutes.

In a heavy-based pot, layer half of the cooked lamb, half of the rice, half of the crispy fried onions, and some chopped coriander and mint. Repeat with the remaining lamb, rice, onions, and herbs.

Drizzle the saffron milk over the top, cover with two layers of foil, and place a lid on the pot. Cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest for 20 minutes without opening the lid.

Prepare a cucumber tomato salad with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, chopped coriander, mint, cumin, and lemon juice, and refrigerate until serving.

Optionally, prepare an onion raita with natural yogurt, red onion, green chili, coriander, mint, and salt, and let it sit until serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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Dietary

Allergens