A biryani, in principal, is a fairly simple concept – bake rice in stock with spices, meat or vegetables until the rice is fluffy and tender. However, you will completely live or die by the quality of the rice you use. If you end up with rice that sticks together, you'll need to go back to biryani school or get hold of better quality rice - the supermarkets are certainly not the place to look for that. Fellow foodies, you are IN LUCK! Our Dr Nature Basmati rice will transform your Indian rice dishes forever. 

It's best to use a heavy, cast iron pot with a tight fitting lid. You want to avoid steam leaking out the top. It's the steam that will give you light fluffy rice so you don't want it to escape. Some traditional biryani methods actually seal the lid with pastry dough to keep all the liquid and steam inside the pot.

 

Ingredients for Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Biryani with Roasted Cashews
Serves 4-6

2 x White Onions, diced
1 x Medium Sized Cauliflower, cut into florets
2 x Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2 inch rough cubes
120g Karimix Biryani Paste
400g Dr. Nature Basmati Rice
900ml Hot Vegetable Stock
150g Cashew Nuts
1/2 Bunch of Fresh Coriander
3-4tbsps Rapeseed Oil
Salt

Ingredients for the Cucumber Raita (omit for a Vegan or Dairy-free menu)
Serves 4-6

275g Greek Yoghurt
1/2 Cucumber, seeds removed and diced finely
1 x Red Onion, finely diced
1tsp Sugar
1tsp Salt
1tsp Cumin Seeds
A small handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Ingredients for the Kachumber Salad
Serves 4-6

1/2 Cucumber, seeds removed and sliced
1 x Red Onion
4 x Fresh Tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced
Small bunch of fresh coriander
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt

Set the oven to 220 degrees C and have a kettle boiled to make up the veg stock.

Start out by thoroughly washing the rice under running water and then place it in a large bowl, cover it with cold water and leave it to soak for 20-30 minutes.

Next, gently fry the onions in rapeseed oil for about 10 minutes, until the onions start to turn slightly golden in colour.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables, coat with more oil, a pinch of salt and roast in the hot oven for 15 minutes.

Once the onions have started to turn golden, add in the Biryani paste and keep cooking for a further 5 minutes. Add in the roasted vegetables, drain the rice and add to the pot.

Lower the oven temperature to 180 degrees C and re-boil the kettle.  Make up the veg stock with the boiling water and add this to the pot whilst still piping hot. Stick the lid on and bake the biryani for 20-30 minutes. This will vary a little with different ovens and the thickness of your pot, so check it after about 20 minutes. You are aiming for all the stock to get absorbed and the rice to be light and fluffy.

Whilst you are waiting to the biryani to cook, you have time to prepare the garnishes. Toast the cashew nuts in a dry pan for 3 or 4 minutes.

To make the raita, mix all the ingredients together and transfer to a bowl.

To make the kachumber salad, mix all the ingredients together except for the lime juice and salt which you want to add at the last minute.

After 20 minutes, keep checking the rice, you may have to cook it beyond 30 minutes - you're just looking for that nice texture.

Once the biryani is cooked, remove from the oven and leave it to stand for about 5 minutes.

Serve on a plate, scattered with the cashew nuts, a good spoonful of raita, the kachumber salad and we highly recommend a good spoonful of Pockeredge Pantry Squash & Apple Chutney.

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