Lamb (or Mutton) Biriani - from Mr D's Thermal Cook Book

This Indian biriani, adapted for the Shuttle Chef, can be served on its own as a scrumptious meal, or dressed up for a festive occasion with fresh tomato chutney, vegetable curry side-dishes and crunchy popadoms. The lamb (mutton) needs to marinade for an hour at least (overnight if convenient). If you are cooking in the morning and want to save time
then brown the onions the night before.


Ingredients for 6 - 8 servings (halve the ingredients for 3 people).

• 1 kilo lamb (or muttton) cut into 2 cm cube pieces (I prefer shoulder)
  

For the marinade

• 4 green chillies (seeded and finely chopped)


• Coriander leaves (chopped - about 1 cup full)


• 1 clove garlic (crushed with salt)


• 2 teaspoons cumin powder


• 1 teaspoon chilli powder


• 1 teaspoon garam masala


• 1 small carton plain yoghurt (approximately 2 large serving spoons)

For the biriani:

• 4 medium onions (thinly sliced)


• Oil or ghee (about 1 desertspoon)


• 1/2 kilo potatoes (can be either old potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks, or new potatoes halved)


• Pinch of saffron (optional, but adds a suble flavour)


• 3 cups of long grain Basmati or Patna rice

For garnish

• 100 gms cashew nuts (or shredded almonds)


• 125 grams sultanas
  
  

Method:

1. Cut the lamb (mutton) into cubes.


2. Chop the chillies finely, crush the garllic, chop the coriander leaves and mix all with the spices and yoghurt.


3. Coat the meat with the marinade, cover and put in the fridge for 1 hour or longer.


4. Chop the onions, then fry in ghee or oil until golden with some browning (they should taste sweet). Remove from pan.


5. Add a little ghee or oil to the pan and heat marinaded lamb to seal the meat. (I prefer to add the meat a third at a time so that it is easier to turn.)


6. When the lamb is simmering hot, add the potatoes and 1/2 the fried onions. Stir well and bring back to simmer.


7. Mix the rice with 5 cups of boiling water and 1 desertspoon of salt.


8. Put the saffron in 1/2 cup hot water.


9. Stir 1/2 the rice into the lamb and potatoes, then spoon the other 1/2 of the rice and water on top.


10. Sprinkle the saffron water onto the top of the rice.


11. Make sure it is all simmering hot, put the lid on the Shuttle Chef pan and place it in the Shuttle Chef.


12. Leave to cook in the Shuttle Chef for 2 1/2 hours to get really tender, succulent meat. (You can leave the biriani cooking in the Shuttle Chef for up to 7 hours - the tatse is superb and the rice is still separate.)
    
    

To serve

Heat the remaining 1/2 of the browned onions, then add the nuts and sultananas. Stir occasionally until heated (the sultanas will plump). Open the Shuttle Chef and stir the onion, nuts and sultana garnish into the top layer of rice. Serve with Tomato Chutney.

Tomato Chutney

• 1 small green chilli (deseed and chop very finely)


• 1/2 medium onion (chop finely) I prefer sweet red onion.


• 3 large or 4 medium toamtoes (chopped)


• 1 desertspoon vinegar1 teaspoon sugar


• Good pinch salt
  

Method:

Stir all ingredients together, cover and leave in a cool place for flavours to blend.

Beef Curry - for 2 people (Double everything for 4)

I made this curry for the first time last night in my Shuttle Chef. Because of the lack of quantity I decided to cook it in a container and partly immerse it in water in the cooker. This way of cooking is ideal for meals that do not have much liquid content or if you are cooking just for one or two people.

Ingredients:

500g beef cut into 2-3cm cubes (you could use lamb if you prefer)
1 tbsp of ghee (I prefer ghee for flavour but vegetable oil can be used instead)
100g of yogurt
1/2 tsp of cornflour
100g tomatoes chopped and skinned (tinned tomatoes are ideal)
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic grated or chopped very finely
6 cardamoms (these need splitting open. I do this by squeezing )
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp of turmeric powder
1 tbsp of coriander powder
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp of salt (check before serving and add a little more if needed)

Method: ( You will need a pot that fits in the inner pot of the thermal cooker. I use my 6" cake tin in mine. You will also need something to stand the tin on in the inner pot. A food ring would do fine.)

1. Blend the cornflour with the yogurt in a bowl.


2. In a frying pan add the ghee and garlic


3. Heat the pan making sure the garlic does not burn.


4. Add the meat and brown.


5. Once browned add everything else and bring to the boil.


6. Once boiling put it into you cake tin and cover with parchment paper or foil to form a lid. Also you will need to make a handle either with string or a sling out of foil so that you can easily lift out the tin when cooked.


7. Put the food ring in the bottom of the thermal cooker inner pot.


8. Fill with boiling water up to the top of the food ring.


9. Put the cake tin into the inner pot.


10. Carefully top up with boiling water by pouring down the side (making sure that you don't pour it over the lid you made to cover the cake tin) until it is about 3/4 of the way up the side of the tin.


11. Put the inner pot onto a heat source and bring back to the boil.


12. Once boiling put on the lid and turn down to a simmer.


13. Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and put the inner pot into the thermal cooker outer pot and close the lid.


14. Cook for a minimum of 3 hours. Longer wont be a problem.


15. Serve with boiled rice.