Vegetarian biryani

This recipe comes from Mahmoud Ismail, food-obsessed comedian and popular content creator, who describes it as “every time I come home and I'm smelling this in the kitchen when my mum's making it. I honestly think it's the best thing you could smell.”

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Spiced Rice

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp biryani spice mix (see note)
• 2 tbsp chicken spice mix (see note)
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 6 – 8 green cardamon pods
• 1 – 2 dried bay leaves
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• A pinch of ground cumin
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ small bunch coriander, finely chopped
• 3 cm x 2 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 1.5 litres boiling water
• Sultanas, to garnish

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the spice blends, whole and ground spices. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Stir through the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
   
2. Stir through the coriander, ginger, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan, followed by the basmati rice. While stirring, gradually add the boiling water to the pan. Cover, then cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Sprinkle the vegetarian biryani with sultanas and serve.

Note:

·You can purchase both the biryani spice mix and the chicken spice mix from select middle eastern or Indian grocers.

· Chicken spice mix is a spice mix that is made to season chicken, but contains no actual chicken and can also be used to season a variety of other dishes.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Spiced Rice

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

24m

G