Name: Sindhi Biryani
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: Pakistani (Sindhi)
Ingredients: 500 g (2½ cups) aged basmati rice; 2.5 litres water; 2 tbsp salt; 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom, 1 bay leaf; 1 kg chicken or mutton, cut into pieces; 3 onions, thinly sliced; 250 g (1 cup) plain yoghurt, whisked; 3 tomatoes, chopped; 2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste; 6–8 green chillies; 2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved; 8–10 dried plums (aloo bukhara), pitted; 150 ml (¾ cup) oil; 2 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp turmeric; 2 tsp coriander powder; 1 tbsp biryani masala; Salt to taste; Large handful of mint and coriander, chopped; 3 tbsp fried onions; ½ tsp saffron or yellow colour in 3 tbsp milk; 2 tbsp kewra water

Method

Tick a step to mark it done.

Step 1: Rinse and soak the basmati for 30 minutes; drain.
Step 2: Fry the onions in oil until golden. Add ginger–garlic paste and green chillies, then the meat, and sear.
Step 3: Add the ground spices, biryani masala, tomatoes and salt. Cook until the oil separates.
Step 4: Stir in yoghurt, add the potatoes, cover and cook until the meat and potatoes are tender. Add the dried plums in the last 5 minutes. The masala should be thick and tangy.
Step 5: Boil the rice water with salt and whole spices; parboil the rice to 70% and drain.
Step 6: Layer rice over the masala, scattering mint, coriander, fried onions, saffron milk and kewra water between two layers.
Step 7: Seal and steam (dum) on the lowest heat for 20–25 minutes.
Step 8: Rest 5 minutes and fold gently before serving.

To serve

Best with cooling raita and sliced onions.

Sindhi Biryani

Ingredients

Method

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