SO if you’re not really a fundi in the kitchen but would like to cook up a traditional Indian delicacy to impress family and friends, try your hand at a mouth-watering breyani dish.
Cookbooks can sometimes be quite intimidating, but for ZO readers we’ve simplified the process because there is nothing better than a spicy Indian dish on a chilly day!
Mutton Breyani (6-8 adults)
Ingredients
1.5kg leg mutton (B1/B2 Grade) – sliced into curry pieces
3 cups rice
¼ cup lentils (soak rice and lentils separately in hot water 2-3 hours before cooking)
100ml cooking oil
2 onions finely sliced
Whole spices: 4 cinnamon sticks, 3 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 3 star aniseed & 1 tblsp fennel seeds
2 medium tomatoes finely sliced
2 tblsp ground ginger and garlic
2 level tsp turmeric powder
2 tblsp (level) chilli powder
1 ½ tblsp rough salt (level)
6 medium potatoes (steamed and fried)
1 bunch dhania (coriander)
½ bunch mint
½ bunch thyme
2 sprigs of curry leaves (Dhania (coriander), mint, thyme and curry leaves must be cleaned, chopped and rinsed well)
1 tblsp dhania powder
1 tblsp jeera powder
1 tblsp garam masala
Method:
Rinse the sliced meat thoroughly and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the sliced onions and whole spices at the same time. Allow to fry until all the onions have become a golden colour. Add the ginger and garlic together with the tomatoes to the onion mix and allow to fry. Add the turmeric, chilli powder, dhania powder, jeera powder and the garam masala to the tomatoes. Stir the spices and add the rinsed meat into the pot with the rough salt. Now that the meat is braised, allow for it to become nicely coated with the masala +- 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of boiling water to the braised meat and let it cook on high heat for a further 20 minutes.
Rinse the rice and lentils that have been soaked and add to the curry. Add 3 cups of boiling water to rice and curry and allow to cook on high heat for a further 20 minutes or once you notice the water has evaporated from the pot.
Lower the heat and add the fried potatoes and sliced herbs and allow to simmer for a further +- 20 minutes. Breyani is done! Best served with sambles, carrot salad or maas salad.
Useful tips in the kitchen:
• Make sure you use a heavy based pot when cooking breyani
• Use quality rice, meat and spices for a tasty dish
• Don’t let it cook on high heat.
• Breyani teaches you patience
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