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Beryani
Beryani (بریانی): Isfahan's cinnamon-spiced lamb on flatbread with basil and walnuts
Beryani is Isfahan's signature lunch, eaten in old bazaar eateries near Naqsh-e Jahan Square for more than a century, and nothing like the rice biryanis of South Asia. Lamb shoulder and, traditionally, lamb lung are simmered, minced, seasoned with cinnamon and fried on a small round pan with the fat from the pot, then turned out onto soft sangak or taftoon bread and eaten with fresh basil, raw onion and walnuts. Lung is hard to buy outside Iran, so this home version uses lamb shoulder and a little lamb mince for the same soft texture. A common mistake is draining away the cooking fat; Isfahanis spoon it over the bread for flavour, so keep it. Chef's tip: press the meat into a small frying pan to make a neat round patty, the way the bazaar cooks do.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the meat
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅓ lb boneless lamb shoulder, 1 onion, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 4 ¼ cups water in a pan. Bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes until the meat falls apart.
75 minStep 2: Lift out the meat and onion; boil the cooking liquid hard until about 200 ml is left. Skim off the fat that rises and keep it in a cup.
10 minStep 3: Mince the cooked lamb and onion in a food processor or chop very finely. Mix with the raw 7 oz lamb mince, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 4 tbsp of the reduced stock until soft and spreadable.
5 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil or lamb fat in a small 18 cm frying pan over a medium heat. Press a quarter of the mixture into the pan as a flat round and fry for 4 minutes, pressing down, until the raw mince is browned and cooked through to 160°F.
4 minStep 5: Lay a 4 pieces sangak or taftoon flatbread on a plate, spoon over a little of the saved fat and stock, turn the meat out on top and drizzle with ¼ tsp ground saffron. Repeat with the rest.
12 minStep 6: Scatter with 2 tbsp slivered almonds and serve straight away with 1 bunch fresh basil, 1 red onion and 2 ⅛ oz walnut halves, tearing the bread to wrap each bite.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beryani take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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