Beef Biryani

Masala Beef:

2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 kilo boneless chuck or blade steak, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped roughly
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 green chili, chopped
¼ cup of cilantro stalks, chopped
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
4 – 5 tablespoons biriyani spice mix*
2 large tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup beef or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Biriyani Rice:

I tablespoon oil
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 inch piece of cassia bark
4 – 5 whole cloves
4 – 5 whole green cardamom pods
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
3 cups basmati rice
4 ½ cups boiling water
¼ teaspoon salt
A generous pinch of saffron

Garnishes:

2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
¼ cup unsalted cashew nuts
¼ unsalted raisins
Splash of rosewater
Small handful finely chopped cilantro
Small handful finely chopped mint
4 boiled eggs (optional) 

Raita:

1 cucumber, seeds removed, and finely diced
¼ cup plain Greek style yogurt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 F.

In a heavy, oven safe pot, drizzle in some oil, then sear the beef chunks on all sides, until caramelized and sealed. Do this in batches to avoid crowding the pan, and add more oil, as required. Remove the beef pieces to a plate.

Add the onion to the same pan, and fry, scraping up any caramelized bits of meat. Fry for a few minutes, until the onion starts to go brown around the edges, then add the garlic, ginger and green chili. Fry for 30 seconds, then add the cilantro and mint. When the herbs wilt, add the biriyani spice mix, and fry for an additional minute. Take off the heat, and scrape into a food processor or blender. Blend this onion mixture into a fine paste.

Add an extra splash of oil into the same pot, and return the onion masala to the pot. Add the tomatoes, beef and stock and bring to a gentle simmer.  Season with a little salt. Place a cartouche made of parchment paper on top of the sauce, then cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven. Let the meat slow cook in the oven for at least 2  - 3 hours, checking on the liquid level, every hour or so. Top up with extra stock, if it looks like it is drying out.
Meanwhile make the rice and garnishes.

Place the oil and the butter for the rice in a heavy based pan. When hot, add the cloves, cardamom, cassia, star anise and bay leaf. Fry for a minute until the spices are fragrant, then add the rice. Fry the rice for an additional minute.

Add the saffron, salt and boiling water to the rice. Use aluminium foil or a tight fitting lid, cover and cook the rice over a low heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the rice steam for an additional 5 – 10 minutes. Carefully open the lid and fluff the rice up with a fork.
For the garnishes, place the oil in a small pan, and add the onions. Caramelize the onions on a low heat for 20 – 30 minutes, until sweet and brown. Add a pinch of sugar to speed up the process, if you wish. To the same pan, add the cashews and raisins, and toast for a minute. Remove to a bowl and keep aside. When the beef is cooked, add a tablespoon of almond paste to the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Start layering the biriyani. In a large, oven safe pot, or serving dish, place a layer of rice. Then add about a third of the beef masala on top. Sprinkle over a few caramelized onions, raisins and cashews, then a sprinkle of rosewater, cilantro and mint. Add a second layer of rice, then a second layer of beef , caramelized onions, raisins, cashews, rosewater, cilantro and mint.

Finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle over the remaining onions, raisins, cashews, cilantro and mint and another splash of rosewater. Tuck halved eggs on top of the rice (if using) then cover with foil or a tight fitting lid and transfer back to a 200 F oven until ready to serve.

To make the raita, mix together the cucumber, yogurt and cumin. Season to taste with salt.

Serve the biriyani with the raita on the side.


*

3 inch stick of cinnamon or cassia bark

10 cloves

10 cardamom pods, lightly crushed (if using black cardamom, reduce to 5 pods)

4 bay leaves, dried

4 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp whole cumin

1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg (freshly grated is better)

3 or 4 pods of black cardamom, opened and lightly crushed (optional)

2 long mild red chillies

In a hot, heavy pan, add all the spices, except the nutmeg, and toss them around, constantly stirring, for around 1 - 3 minutes until they are lightly toasted and the kitchen smells heavenly! Do not allow the spices to burn, keep a sharp eye out. 

In a powerful spice blender, grind the spices till they are a fine powder. Add the grated nutmeg to the mix, stir and it is ready to use. If making a big batch, store in an airtight container.