Sindhi biryani
Tangier and hotter than Karachi biryani, with yoghurt, plums, tomato and a generous hand of green chilli. A dish that needs a firm, long grain.
Made withHima SelaParboiled for firmness. Holds its shape in biryani.
Ingredients
- 750 g Hima Sela rice
- 1 kg mutton or chicken
- 4 medium onions, sliced and fried crisp
- 4 medium tomatoes, sliced in rounds
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 8 dried plums (aloo bukhara)
- 10 green chillies
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp biryani masala or garam masala
- ¾ cup oil
- Mint, coriander and 2 lemons, sliced
- Whole spices: 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise, 8 black peppercorns, 1 tsp shahi zeera
- Salt to taste
Method
- Rinse and soak the rice for 2 hours.
- Fry the onions in the oil until crisp; lift out half for layering. Add ginger-garlic paste, then the meat, and sear.
- Add the ground spices, salt and yoghurt and cook covered until the meat is tender: 45 minutes for mutton, 25 for chicken. Add plums and green chillies.
- Boil the rice in salted water with the whole spices for 10–12 minutes, to 80% done. Drain.
- Layer: rice, meat, tomato rounds, lemon slices, mint, coriander and fried onion; repeat, finishing with rice.
- Seal and give it 20 minutes of dum on the lowest heat. Rest before serving.
Timings are written for Hima Sela. With another rice, adjust the soak and boil to the grain: see the cooking guide.
