Beef Biryani

This is a rice-based curry dish that is cooked all in one pot. So there's not much washing up to do afterwards. A totally good thing when I've got a week off work to do other things...

Yesterday we went to Winchester, where I did my Fine Art degree. This would've been made a great little picnic meal, but our decision to go was only made first thing in the morning, so there was absolutely no time to do anything.

It's been seven years since I've been back to Winchester, so it was nice to reminisce and treat it more like a tourist. One place that I had regretted never visiting was Winchester Cathedral. 

There were big, colourful stained glass windows set in front of tiny little wooden doors...

Chandeliers dangling down on silly-length chains to the patterned tiles below...

And beautiful statues, like Joan of Arc, basking in the beams of sunlight which also highlight sections of the detailed wood work.

Hopefully, we'll also be taking a trip across to the Isle of Wight this week. I'm really looking forward to the ferry ride if we do.

Beef Biryani

Serves 2

150g long grain rice

2tbsp olive oil

200g lean beef, chopped

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp coriander seeds

4 cardamom pods

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1tsp ground ginger

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp dried chilli flakes

300ml water

2 eggs

Soak the rice in cold water for half an hour. This removes some of the starch so the grains don't clump together and are nice and light. Drain it in a sieve to remove as much water as possible.

Then, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium sized sauce pan and brown the meat. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and cardamom seeds and add to the pan along with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli flakes, water and drained rice. Cover with a lid and cook on a simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. If it gets too dry, just add a bit more water but make sure it's not soggy.

Using the remaining oil, fry the eggs. If you keep the yolk runny, it makes a creamy sauce when broken on top of the biryani.