Kacchi biryani
Dhaka’s biryani: lamb marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked raw beneath layers of basmati rice in a sealed pot. It’s the dish for the city’s weddings and celebrations.
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in lamb, in pieces
- 500 g basmati rice
- 250 g plain yoghurt
- 3 onions
- 2 potatoes (very typical in Dhaka)
- 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon of garam masala, with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves
- A few saffron threads in a little milk
- 100 g ghee or butter
- Oil and salt
How to make it at home
- Fry the thinly sliced onion until deep golden and crisp.
- Marinate the lamb with the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, salt and half the fried onion for at least 2 hours.
- Parboil the rice in salted water for 5 minutes and drain.
- In a heavy-based pot, put the meat with its marinade, the half-fried potatoes on top and cover with the rice.
- Drizzle with the ghee, the saffron and the rest of the onion, and seal the lid with foil.
- Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat and an hour over the lowest heat, without opening.
The trick: The secret is not to open the pot: the meat cooks in its own steam.