A holiday lunch that breaks the monotony of a busy week calls for something a little extra, a slightly different taste. If there is hot beef biryani on the plate on such a day, the pleasure is complete. Made with tender meat, fragrant rice and a blend of spices, this biryani is not just food; it brings the comfort of a day off and the flavour of family time. So instead of ordinary cooking, serve beef biryani for your holiday lunch. Here is the recipe.

• Beef, 1 kg
• Ginger paste, 1 tablespoon
• Garlic paste, half a tablespoon
• Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder, 2 teaspoons
• Chilli powder, half a tablespoon
• Turmeric powder, half a teaspoon
• Garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg and mace powder, a quarter teaspoon
• Beresta (fried onion), half a cup
• Sour yoghurt, a quarter cup
• Oil or ghee, half a cup
• Whole garam masala, 4 or 5 of each
• Bay leaves, 2
• Green chillies, 10 or 12
• Salt to taste

• Polao rice, 3 cups
• Milk, 1 cup
• Water, 5 cups
• Potatoes, 4 or 5
• Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves, 2 of each
• Green chillies, 10 to 12
• Sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

First mix the pastes and ground spices well with a little water and salt and set aside. Wash the rice well and drain it. Heat oil in a cooking pot and temper it with the bay leaves and whole garam masala. When the tempering becomes fragrant, add the spice mixture and cook it well. When the masala is done, add the meat and cook it thoroughly in the spices. Then cover and cook on a low flame for about 30 minutes. There is no need to add water. Open the lid now and then, stir and cover again. When the meat is tender, add the beresta and green chillies, cover for about another 10 minutes, then take it off the heat.

Peel the potatoes, rub them with salt and fry them until golden. In another pot, put the bay leaves and whole garam masala with the washed rice. Stir and fry for a while, then add salt to taste, the fried potatoes, milk and water. Raise the heat. When the water boils, cook until the rice and water are almost level. When the water has reduced, cover the pot and lower the heat. Cook on dum like this for about 15 minutes.

Then take out half of the polao and spread the cooked meat and fried potatoes evenly over the rest. Spread the reserved polao on top. Finally sprinkle a little sugar, lemon juice, food colouring and fried onion over the top, cover and cook on dum for another 15 to 20 minutes. Take it off the heat and serve the beef biryani hot.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.