Lamb biryani. Unleash your inner chef with this classic biryani recipe. Layers of fluffy rice and spiced lamb are infused with saffron, rose water and plenty of spices. With a side of raita, pappadums and your favorite pickle, this makes the perfect centerpiece for the ultimate dinner party.
Imagine this. A spoonful of fluffy rice and succulent lamb interlaced with the mouthwatering flavors of aromatic spices, saffron and rose water taking your taste buds to a food coma. Do you really want to wow your guests with this delectable classic biryani? This one pot meal is your best friend when you want to cook up a storm fit for a king.
The fact is that in between all the healthy food, we also need meals that are comforting and rich. But you don’t always need to rely on foods very high in fat and calories to achieve that feeling of coziness. Obviously, this healthy version of your favorite biryani made at home is the proof.
Ok, first, basmati rice. Clearly, rice is the backbone of all good biryani recipes including this lamb biryani. I prefer long fluffy rice that don’t turn mushy when cooked. There are so many good brands of basmati rice available in the market. You just need to do some experiments to find the right one for you. Also, just be aware that the cooking times may also vary.
I highly recommend cooking rice and lamb separately for the perfect texture. To cook rice, I like to stir fry a few spices like bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves along with rice. The idea is to impart maximum flavor to the rice. Once the rice is cooked, drain it, and set aside.
While rice is cooking, start with making the lamb masala. Heat up a little ghee, fry up a few spices along with onions and ginger garlic paste, and let the lamb pieces cook in this delectable spicy sauce. This may take about an hour. Just make sure the lamb is cooked until tender and the sauce is really thick.
Now, the final step of this lamb biryani recipe. Layering. Before you start the layering process, don’t forget to prepare the saffron milk. In a heavy bottomed pan, start with a layer of lamb masala followed by rice, saffron milk, herbs (coriander or cilantro and mint leaves), and rose water. Repeat the process to create one more layer.
Finally, transfer biryani to the oven. When it comes out of the oven, the nice aroma that fill the kitchen will make you drool. Finish off with a good sprinkle of fried onions, raisins and cashew nuts.
Every bite of this lamb biryani is totally delicious!
More biryani recipes:
- Butter Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Tikka Biryani
- Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
- Malabar Chicken Biryani
- Easy Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Kabsa
- Veg Dum Biryani - Restaurant Style
- Keema Biryani
- Egg Biryani
Serve with:
- Your favorite raita (cucumber raita, pomegranate raita, grapes apple mint raita)
- Pappadums
- Your favorite pickle (lemon pickle, green apple pickle, celery pickle,raw mango pickle)
Lamb Biryani | Video
Ingredients
Fried onions:
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups sliced white onions
Fried raisins:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ cup raisins
Fried cashew nuts:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ cup cashew nuts
Saffron milk:
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 2 tablespoon lukewarm milk
Rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 cups water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Lamb mixture:
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup sliced red onions
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon green chili paste
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1-2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 kg lamb cut into medium-sized pieces
- ¼ cup yogurt
- ¼ cup chopped coriander cilantro and mint leaves
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
Layering biryani:
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 teaspoon rose water
- 4 tablespoon coriander cilantro and mint leaves
Instructions
Fried onions:
- Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crispy. Drain on an absorbent towel.
Fried raisins:
- In the same pan, heat ghee. Add raisins. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until plump. Drain on an absorbent towel.
Fried cashew nuts:
- In the same pan, heat more ghee if required. Add cashew nuts. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Drain on an absorbent towel.
Saffron milk:
- Place milk in a small bowl. Add saffron. Stir. Seat aside for 10 minutes.
Cook rice:
- Rinse rice under cold running water. Soak for about 20 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Stir fry for few seconds. Add water. Bring to boil. Add rice and lemon juice. Season with salt. Stir gently. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. When cooked (do not overcook rice), drain and set aside. (Make sure all the water from the rice is drained out completely).
Lamb mixture:
- Place bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon and star anise in a frying pan. Stir fry for a minute or until lightly browned. Grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
- Heat ghee and oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add red onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Add ginger, garlic and green chili paste. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
- Add dry spice mixture, ground turmeric, ground coriander, garam masala and red chili powder. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add chopped tomatoes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until mushy.
- Add lamb. Season with salt. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, and coriander (cilantro) and mint leaves. Pour 1 cup water. Stir. Cook, covered, for one hour or until lamb is cooked through and the sauce is thick.
Layering:
- In a large heavy bottomed oven proof pan, arrange half of lamb mixture in a single layer. Top with half of rice followed by 1 tablespoon ghee, 1 teaspoon rose water, half of saffron milk, half of fried onions, half of raisins, half of cashew nuts, and 2 tablespoon coriander (cilantro) and mint leaves.
- Top with remaining lamb mixture, rice, saffron milk, fried onions, raisins, cashew nuts, coriander (cilantro) and mint leaves, 1 tablespoon ghee and 1 teaspoon rose water.
- Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
- To “dum” biryani, bake for about 30 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can dum biryani over low heat on the stove top.
Video
Nutrition
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Erin says
I am a big fan of biryani. Can't wait to try this lamb biryani.