Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 1 chilli (red or green), chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- Quarter tsp each turmeric, fenugreek, garam masala
- Half tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander
- 250g lamb shoulder, cubed
- 1 cup brown basmati rice
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of saffron strands
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C. In a large ovenproof casserole pan, fry the onion gently in about 2 tbsp groundnut oil until it starts to soften and caramelise. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cloves and mix well before adding the other spices. Stir fry gently to release the aromatic flavours of the spices before adding the meat.
Fry the meat in the spices for a few minutes until the pieces are well coated. Add the rice and mix through before adding the tomatoes and salt. Mix well then add 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil, cover and transfer to the oven to finish cooking.
This will take about 50-60 minutes. It will be ready when all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice and the lamb is tender. Soak the saffron in a little hot water and drizzle over the top of the rice 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Return to the oven to finish cooking.