Easy Lamb Biryani

For the Marinade

• 450g lamb* – diced into bite sized pieces
• 2cm ginger – peeled and grated
• 3 cloves garlic – crushed
• 1tsp chilli powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp turmeric
• 3tsp garam masala
• 2tsp ground coriander
• 2tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp black peppercorns crushed
• 1 stick cinnamon broken in half
• 125ml natural yogurt

• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 2 onions sliced
• 3 tomatoes remove seeds and dice
• 3 bay leaves
• 300g Basmati rice
• 500ml vegetable stock
• latge handful spinach + sprinkle fresh corriander
• slivered almonds (optional)

1. Place all ingredients for marinade in a glass bowl, mix well and chill for at least 2 hours (ideally over night and remove from fridge 1hour before cooking).
2. Prepare rice by soaking for at least 30mins and rinsing well in a sieve until the water runs clear.
3. Add the oil to a large hot pan and fry the cumin seeds until they sizzle, when this happens add the onion and fry until soft and brown.
4. Pour in the lamb mix, add the tomatoes and continue to cook on a high heat for 5 minutes continually stirring, to make sure the spices are cooked through.
5. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25mins to ensure the lamb becomes tender.
6. Add the bay leaf, rice and vegetable stock, stir and cover again, leave on a low heat for a further 20 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat, remove lid, add spinach and stir once, replace the lid.
8. Let this stand for 10mins to ensure the rice is light and fluffy.

From Tilda website.

* 6 large chicken thighs if using chicken

Indo-Chinese stir-fried chicken with dried chillies

These fried chilli chicken pieces can be eaten with steamed rice or noodles as a main course, or serve them on skewers for great party food.

Ingredients

• 700g/1lb 9oz chicken thighs, skinned, boned and cut in 3-4 pieces each
• oil for deep-frying

 

For the marinade

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 4 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ chicken stock cube
• pinch ground cumin
• pinch chilli powder
• pinch ground coriander
• ½ chicken stock cube, crushed to a powder
• ½ tsp salt

For the stir fry

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 dried red chillies, broken into pieces
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• ½ red or green pepper, diced into 2.5cm/1in pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with a little water
• ½ lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp chopped wild garlic (when in season) or spring onions
• baby watercress, rocket or similar young leaf salad, to garnish

Preparation method

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, then rub them all over the chicken thighs, cover and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
   
2. Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or a deep, heavy-based saucepan to 190C/375F (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Add the chicken pieces and deep-fry for about five minutes, or until they are crisp, golden-brown and just cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
   
3. For the stir-fry, heat the oil in a heavy pan until it reaches smoking point. Add the dried red chillies and move them around quickly. As they darken, add the cumin and garlic and stir quickly.
   
4. As soon as the garlic starts to change colour, add the onions and the red or green pepper and stir-fry for about two minutes until softened. Then add the fried chicken, salt, sugar, red chilli powder and cumin and continue stir-frying on a high heat for 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the soy sauce and mix well.
   
5. When all the vegetables are softened and the spices well combined, add the cornflower paste and stir quickly to mix evenly. This gives the dish an attractive glaze and also thickens the sauce. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the chopped wild garlic or spring onions and stir to mix.
   
6. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles if serving as a main, or with a simple salad of watercress as a starter. Alternatively serve on skewers as party food or to go with cocktails.