Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Mixed Vegetable and Almond Biryani



Cooking with Angela had this awesome recipe on FB.:


This gently spiced biryani is economical. It makes use of that packet of chopped mixed veg languishing at the bottom of your freezer. Enjoy it by itself with a dollop of yogurt and mango chutney, or as part of a feast – it's particularly delicious with turmeric potatoes.
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil/ghee/butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garam masala
3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 vegetable stock cube
300g mixed frozen chopped vegetables (use fresh if you like)
300g basmati rice
50g flaked almonds
large handful fresh coriander, chopped
½ lemon, juice only
Method
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed, lidded saucepan. Fry the onions with the salt for 10 minutes, or until soft and just starting to brown.
Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and cardamom pods. Fry again for another minute and crumble in the stock cube.
Add the vegetables and rice, and stir until everything is well coated in the onion spice mixture.
Add 600ml of water and turn up the heat to bring the rice to the boil. Put on the lid and reduce the heat as low as it will go, then allow to steam for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the rice to rest, lid on, for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds over a medium heat in a small frying pan until golden.
Remove the lid from the rice, and pick out the cardamom husks that should have worked their way to the top. Fluff up the rice with a fork, and stir in the flaked almonds, chopped coriander and the lemon juice before serving.
The perfect biryani is cooked low and slow. It's the steaming of the rice that prevents the biryani from burning at the bottom