Sardine biryani

Ingredients

For the biryani

• 500g long-grain basmati rice
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• A thumb of ginger, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
• 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, seeds removed and diced
• 350g tinned sardines in oil, drained
• 80g plain yogurt
• 20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, sliced into 5-6 slices

For the spicing

• 3 dried bay leaves
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

Method

Begin by thoroughly washing your rice. I do this 4-5 times until the water runs clear.

In a heavy-based pan, saute the onions in 2 tsp oil until golden. Remove and set aside half the onions, then add the ginger, garlic, green pepper, tomatoes and chilli to the remaining onions and fry for a further 2-3 mins. Add your spices and 1 tsp salt, tempering for a few minutes before taking off the heat. Add the sardines, yogurt and three-quarters of the coriander.

For the rice, place a medium pot over a high heat and bring 1.2 litres of water to a boil with 2 tsp salt, stirring in the white wine vinegar. Add your rice then bring back up to the boil. Boil for 6 mins until the rice is just cooked with a bite to it – it shouldn’t be mushy! Drain and set aside.

Now it’s time to layer our biryani. Lightly oil the base of a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven before covering it with half of your drained rice. Add all of the sardine-yogurt mixture in an even layer on top of the rice. Cover with the remaining rice, then sprinkle over the reserved fried onions and the remaining coriander before placing the lemon slices on top.

Layer the lid with a kitchen cloth or foil and seal tightly. Turn the heat to medium and allow the biryani to steam for 4-5 mins – the steam should start to escape the sides. Turn down the hob to the lowest heat and allow it to steam for 20 mins. Turn off the heat and rest for a final 10 mins before serving but resist the urge to stir.

I love to serve with a big green salad and a quick cucumber raita.

Images: Stuart Ovenden