Biryani page 2 of 4
2 lbs meat 1 lb Basmati rice 1/3 cup of Ghee   ¼ pint dry white wine 2 cups of plain yogurt 2 sticks of cinnamon 12 -15 whole cloves 8 cardamom pods Some hot chilli oil   6 fat cloves of garlic Peeled fresh ginger 1½ inches 1 tablespoon of fennel seed 1 large onion 1 cup raisins 1 cup unsalted nuts 2 teaspoons salt 1 generous pinch saffron threads Zest of one lemon Zest of one orange Chives Cilantro (coriander leaves)
Ingredients:
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Lamb is good (and traditional) but chicken is also excellent. (No substitutes here – especially not Uncle Ben’s Quick Cook long grain or anything like it) (This is clarified butter.  You could use a mixture of Olive oil and regular butter but we need the high smoke point as well as the buttery flavor) (do get regular ‘greek’ yogurt, not fat free or ‘lite’) (each around 3 or 4 inches in length) It’s possible to find just the seeds in which case just 15 to 20 seeds will do and in fact some people prefer this since they don’t like having to deal with the somewhat inedible pod) (this ‘to taste’ – sometimes you or your guests might like a little more hotness  – but remember, Biryani is meant to be a mild, fragrant dish) Choose cashews, but pine nuts or slivered almonds work well too. This will give the rice component a wonderful fragrance and golden color.  Some people think that turmeric is a substitute but it has quite a different earthy aroma and a greenish yellow color. Use one of those little ‘claw’ zesters rather than grating since the visual appearance is important too and we only want the oily skin, not the bitter pith. Optional garnishing ingredients