AI-generated image
Beryani
Spiced lamb on flatbread with basil
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
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless lamb shoulderin large chunks
- 1 onionquartered
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 7 oz lamb mince
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or lamb fat
- ¼ tsp ground saffron (optional)steeped in 2 tbsp hot water
To serve
- 4 pieces sangak or taftoon flatbread
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 1 red onioncut in wedges
- 2 ⅛ oz walnut halves
- 2 tbsp slivered almonds (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
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).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian