GOAT BIRYANI
Ingredients
- 500g/1lb 2oz basmati rice
- 110g/3¾oz clarified butter (ghee)
- plus extra for greasing
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 onions
- sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- crushed
- 4cm/1½in piece fresh root ginger
- chopped
- 1kg/2lb 4oz goat
- boned and cubed
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable stock or water
- 400g/14oz plain yoghurt
- handful prunes
- 3 green chillies
- sliced lengthwise
- sea salt
- large handful coriander
- to garnish
- 1 red onion
- thinly sliced
- handful fresh coriander (leaves and stalks)
- finely chopped
- ¼ tsp caster sugar
- squeeze lemon juice
- vegetable oil or ghee
- 8–10 free-range duck eggs
- pinch chilli flakes
Directions
- For the biryani
- wash and soak the rice for at least 20–30 minutes
- but preferably 2 hours.
- Heat a large pan over a high heat. Add the clarified butter and
- once it is sizzling
- add the cinnamon sticks
- peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook for a minute without burning them. Add the onions
- garlic and ginger and cook for 3–4 minutes. The mixture should be dry and brown.
- Add the goat and cook for 10 minutes
- until browned. If the mixture starts to stick
- add a few splashes of water.
- Add the ground spices and 2 teaspoons salt and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the stock and cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes
- or until the meat is tender and the curry dry. If it isn't dry within 20 minutes
- keep cooking until all the moisture has evaporated
- watching it closely.
- Remove from the heat
- take off the lid and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Stir in the yoghurt and prunes.
- Meanwhile
- put the rice in a large pan with a 1 litre/1¾ pint water. Cook for 10 minutes
- then strain through a colander and drain under cold water.
- Grease a large
- lidded deep dish with clarified butter. Layer the dish with rice
- curry
- then green chillies
- then repeat and end with an extra layer of rice on top. Place a damp tea towel over the biryani and put the lid on. Cook over a medium heat for 25 minutes
- until you get crunchy rice at the bottom of the pan. Remove the lid.
- Meanwhile for the onion salad
- put the onion and coriander in a bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice and scrunch together using your hands
- being sure to really squeeze and macerate the onions; they should look like they have reduced in size and 'cooked' in the lemon juice slightly.
- For the eggs
- heat the oil in a large pan and the cook eggs until they are lacey-edged. Sprinkle with the chilli flakes and a pinch of salt.
- Stir the biryani. Serve topped with the fried eggs and garnished with the coriander
- with the onion salad on the side.

