Lamb biryani
- Published: 31 Mar 08
- Updated: 10 Jul 25
Learn how to achieve succulent meat, fluffy rice and the perfect blend of spice with food writer Sumayya Usmani’s step-by-step guide to making perfect lamb biryani.
“This dish is traditionally made with mutton, but you can use diced shoulder of lamb if you prefer,” says Sumayya. “My recipe is based on a Pakistani biryani from the Sindh province where it’s made with soured yogurt and dried sour plums. I like to substitute local produce and I’ve found that using fresh unripe plums works well with a handful of fresh pomegranate seeds – the fresh ones are easier to find than the dried seeds used in Pakistan. Sindhi biryani is a celebratory dish and it’s one that brings back special memories for me.”
Make our best-ever chicken biryani next.
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Serves 6-8 -
Hands-on time 2½-3 hours, plus soaking
Before you start
Traditionally a biryani pot is sealed with dough. I use dough and tin foil. If you’d like to do this, mix 150g plain flour with 100ml water and knead until pliable; add more flour if it’s too wet. Wrap foil over the dish as in step 8, then roll the dough into a long strip and press it over the rim of the dish to seal. When cooked, break the dough to open.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 623kcals
- Fat
- 18.8g (8.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 28.1g
- Carbohydrates
- 82.1g (18g sugars)
- Fibre
- 6.7g
- Salt
- 0.3g
delicious. tips
Sumayya’s tips for success
Ensure the chillies you use are hot; I add the seeds with the chopped chilli – it’s the only heat that goes into the recipe.
Try different spices. I like dark spices such as star anise and black cardamom with this, but you could use green cardamom and cumin instead.
Ensure the plums are unripe and sour. They soften as they cook and add a wonderful sharp-sweetness. If you can find dried sour plums in an Asian grocer’s shop, use them instead.
To make your own soured yogurt (a crucial part of the dish): mix 400g full-fat natural yogurt with the juice of half a lemon or 3 tbsp soured cream.
Parboiling the rice before adding to the dish is my way of shortening the cooking time.
Cook the biryani on the hob over a heat diffuser (also known as a simmer ring) if you have one, as it helps the dish cook slowly so the flavours infuse without the rice overcooking.
Patience is key. At each stage of cooking, ensure any moisture is cooked out before moving on.
Make the curry sauce (steps 4-6) a day ahead (keep covered in the fridge), then cook the rice and finish the recipe.
Black cardamom and black cumin are available from Asian grocers or online at spicemountain.co.uk and Amazon.
The biryani – baked rice, usually layered with meat – first originated in the Moghul cuisine of the 16th-19th centuries. Here is our recipe for a fragrant lamb biryani.