What better way to bring vibrancy to a winter table than with a colourful, delicately spiced biriani, writes Hugo Arnold
It is a time of year when soothing food becomes a cushion against the weather outside and against the seemingly endless run of short days. We have had our fill of native food, however: the table is demanding colour, vibrancy, a promise of the sunshine to come. If there is a dish that fulfils these demands in spades, it is biriani, the ancient Mogul creation whose saffron-infused layers release aromas of far-off places.
A biriani, in which rice is combined with spices and meat, fish or vegetables, was the grand finale of Mogul banquets - although the guests would have eaten oodles of food before they reached this meal-in-itself. Given our feasting last month, I am rather against culinary excess at the moment. A biriani, with just yogurt or a simple relish alongside it, is therefore ideal - and serving it alone gives it a chance to shine.
In a traditional biriani, only some of the rice is yellow from saffron. The rest is meant to be white, for a dappled effect. Elaborate methods of soaking the rice, involving anything up to 24 hours, were developed to ensure its brilliance.
How do you tell the difference between a good biriani and a not-so-good one? Balance is all important: it will contain a strongly flavoured meat such as lamb yet still let through the flavour of the rice - not easy to achieve when you are cooking everything together.
A lot of this, as with so much cooking, comes down to seasoning. Many consider the salting - the right amount at each stage of the cooking process - to reveal the difference between a professional and an amateur biriani.
Like the risotto, the biriani is a dish to perfect over time. As well as lamb and chicken, I have had considerable success with monkfish, prawns and other seafood, not to mention with aubergines, courgettes, fennel and leeks.
It was my third biriani that made me feel I'd cracked the process. But it might have been something to do with occasion. It was a birthday party for a friend notorious for his frugal eating. It was, he said, the best thing he'd ever eaten. That day he considered three helpings quite normal.
LAMB BIRIANI
Serves eight
500ml basmati rice
100g blanched almonds
2 onions
4cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1kg lamb, cut into 3cm cubes
vegetable oil
8 cloves
2 tsp cumin seeds
8 cardamom seeds, cracked open, seeds removed and outer husks discarded
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
2 green chillies, trimmed and finely chopped
1 stick cinnamon
50g butter
very generous pinch of saffron
2 tbsp finely sliced shallots
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, deseeded and cut into strips
Soak the rice in cold water, rinsing it well with your hands and changing the water at least three times. (Aim to make the water cloudy each time.) Change the water again, add a dessertspoon of salt and set aside overnight.
Roast the almonds at 200C/gas 6 for five minutes. Roughly chop the onions and add, with the ginger and garlic, to a food processor. Blend with the almonds and three tablespoons of water. It needs to be a fine paste.
Season the lamb with salt, then brown it in batches in vegetable oil over a moderate heat. The meat must fry rather than stew. Set aside.
Pour any excess oil from the pan, then add four tablespoons of fresh oil and the almond and onion paste. Saute this mixture over a moderate heat until it goes a golden brown. Take care towards the end that it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Grind the cloves, cumin and cardamom and add to the nutmeg, chillies and cinnamon. Add this mixture to the pan and cook for a further two minutes, so the spices lose their raw aroma and become sweet.
Return the meat to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Season with salt, cover with water and simmer for 45 minutes over a low heat, or until the meat is just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Skim off all the fat on the surface. (If you have time, put the pan in the fridge, so the fat congeals. It will then be easy to lift off.)
Blanch the rice in plenty of salted boiling water for five minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water.
Pour the meat and juices into a casserole dish. Top with the rice. Soften the butter in a small saucepan and add the saffron strands. Cook, taking care not to burn the butter, over a low heat for two minutes. Pour over the rice. Cover with greaseproof paper and the lid. Bring to the boil over a moderate heat. As soon as it starts to steam, transfer it to a preheated oven at 150C/gas 2. Bake for an hour.
Saute the shallots in a little oil, until they are golden. Serve the biriani topped with the shallots, mint, coriander and tomato, and with relish on the side.
YOGURT RELISH
½ cucumber, grated
600ml plain yogurt
bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Combine the cucumber with a teaspoon of salt in a sieve, toss and set aside over the sink for five minutes. Rinse well, then squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. Combine with the yogurt and coriander and season with black pepper.
TOMATO RELISH
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp roughly chopped mint
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Combine the tomatoes, red onion, chillies and garlic with the mint and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil over a moderate heat and gently fry the mustard and cumin seeds. Pour over the tomato mixture, stir and serve.
harnold@irish-times.ie