Lamb Biryani

This special dish takes around 1 hour to cook. Once the Biryani is assembled you can reserve it for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking in the oven. The ingredients are for 6-7 people.

For the lamb curry
400gr lamb meat, cubed
1 aubergine, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbs. curry powder
3 cloves of garlic
1 piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

For the rice
2 cups of basmati rice
2 tbsp of peeled sunflower seeds
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp melted butter.
Salt and pepper
A handful of chopped Coriander or parsley to garnish
You will also need a 30cm long ovenproof dish.

Put the rice in a pan with 3 cups of water or stock. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until it is just cooked. Turn off the heat and mix the rice with the rest of the rice ingredients. Set aside.

Put the peeled ginger, garlic and red pepper in a blender; add a few tablespoons of water and blend until smooth.

Place a large saucepan on the heat; pour 3 tablespoons of oil, add the curry powder, onion and aubergine. Gently fry for 10 minutes until the onion is soft and pale. Add the meat cubes and the ginger garlic blend. Season with salt and pepper; cover the pan and simmer for 60 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces. Turn off the heat and reserve.

Assemble the dish. Place half of the rice over the bottom of an ovenproof dish, cover with the lamb curry; and then use the rest of the rice to cover the meat, shaping the rice like a mound.
Cover the raita with foil.
Cook the biryani in the oven at 180º for 35 minutes. Serve with yoghurt and cucumber raita.

Raita: peel and chop a cucumber, mix it with one plain yoghurt and some finely chopped mint.