LAMB QUINOA POTLI BIRYANI

Ingredients

• 150 gm Spanish white onion, sliced • 100 gm red onion, sliced • 25 gm ginger • 25 gm garlic • 250 gm plain flour • 1 gm saffron • 50 ml double cream • 50 ml vegetable oil • 5 gm bay leaves • 10 gm black cardamom • 10 gm cinnamon sticks • 5 gm cumin seeds • 10 gm whole Kashmiri red chilli

• 800 gm lamb leg, boned, cut into 1-inch cubes •30gmsalt • 20 gm coriander powder • 20 gm cumin powder • 2 gm turmeric powder • 5 gm kasoori methi powder • 5 gm deggi mirch powder • 100 gm tomato, finely chopped • 10 gm green cardamom • 2 gm black peppercorns • 10 gm mace • 500 gm quinoa, washed, soaked • 20 gm mint • 20 ml rose water • 15 ml kewra water • 50 ml vegetable oil, for frying

Method

Fry and brown the Spanish and red onions in separate pans. Set aside.

Peel ginger and garlic cloves and make a fine paste.

Knead the flour in water and divide into four balls; keep refrigerated.

Soak saffron in cream and set aside.

In a thick-bottom pan, heat oil and temper with bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and whole Kashmiri red chilli.

When these spices start to crackle, add lamb cubes and fried Spanish onions; sear the lamb and add salt.

Cook and stir continuously until the lamb is seared and the onions are mashed to a fine paste-like consistency.

Add the ginger and garlic paste along with the powdered spices and reduce to low heat; stir for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add water until it covers the lamb, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Check and stir the lamb regularly.

Once nearly done, turn the stove to high temperature and stir until almost all the moisture evaporates.

In a separate pan, boil water with green cardamom, black peppercorn and mace.

Add soaked quinoa and boil for 5 minutes; strain when the quinoa is half-cooked.

Add quinoa to the lamb along with mint, rose water, kewra water, saffron cream and fried red onion; cover with lid and shake gently.

Divide the biryani into four serving bowls.

Roll out the four flour balls into 12-inch flatbreads and put the biryani in the middle, cover and seal the dough so it resembles a pouch.

Fry the whole pouch in the remaining vegetable oil for 5 minutes until the pastry is cooked through.

Remove from fryer, dry off excess oil and cut the top off the pastry.

Serve lamb biryani in the pouch with egg raita.

For the compote:

• 50 gm quinoa, washed, soaked

• 100 gm raspberries, washed

• 20 gm low calorie sweetener

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

Whisk the eggs in a medium sized bowl.

Blend bananas, dates and oil into a thick cream in a separate bowl.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom and combine with the eggs and the bananas.

Add coconut flakes, walnuts and raisins and stir until the mixture comes together.

Pour into a cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes (stick a toothpick into the centre of the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is ready). Remove and cool.

For the compote, place the quinoa and raspberries into a heavy bottom saucepan. Add water to cover the berries, then add sweetener. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes (add more water if required). Remove from heat, transfer into a bowl and chill.

To serve, cut the cake into rectangles, and serve with quinoa and raspberry compote and fresh berries.