![Roasting dish filled with rice lamb halved shallots and garlic heads cashews and herbs](https://assets.epicurious.com/photos/5fa45ca736cf430a9b7e5942/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/goat-biryani-asha-gomez-recipe-110520.jpg)
Biryani is a celebration dish. Weddings, birthdays, festivals, and other times of good cheer are the usual occasions when this iconic dish of rice with meat or vegetables graces our table, with almost the entire spice cabinet having been invited into the cooking vessel. Across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, countless renditions of this festive dinner abound, as do the many names by which it is known.
I think the following recipe is my favorite version to make at home, though it is wonderful made with chicken thighs. I love the tender goat layered between saffron-spiced rice and baked, then dressed with roasted shallots, cashews, raisins, and a confetti of cilantro.
As I fluff the flavored rice, I always remove the star anise, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and bay leaves—counting the fifteen spice hulls as I go—and set them aside to use as a garnish. Alternatively, you can tie all the spices except the saffron and cumin seeds in a piece of muslin to make a bouquet garni, which makes a quick job of removing the spice hulls. Or, if no muslin is available, put them in a tea ball and hang the ball over the side of the pot.
Ingredients
8 servings
Rice:
Goat:
Garnish:
Rice:
Step 1
In a 3-quart pot with 4½ cups of water, add the cardamom, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, covered, over low heat. Add the saffron, cumin, salt, and ghee; increase heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice, stir briefly, then cover tightly; reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes—making sure to not lift the lid—until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. Remove the spice hulls.
Goat:
Step 2
In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup water with the cilantro, mint, chiles, garlic, and ginger. Blend the ingredients to make a thick paste; set it aside.
Step 3
In a large Dutch oven, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, cardamom powder, and salt; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the herb paste, and stir until well combined. Lower the heat and cook the sauce for 3 minutes. Add the goat and stir to coat all the meat with the sauce. Cover and cook until the meat is falling off the bone, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Garnish:
Step 4
Place the shallots and garlic in a small pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the melted ghee. Roast the shallots and garlic for 20 minutes, while the goat is cooking.
Step 5
In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee and toast the cashews and raisins until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Assembling the biryani:
Step 6
In a roasting pan, layer one-third of the rice, then top the rice with one-half of the goat; repeat and end with a layer of rice. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
Step 7
Bake until all the flavors of the rice and goat combine, about 20 minutes. Uncover and garnish with reserved spice hulls. When ready to serve the biryani, place the roasted shallots, garlic, cashews, and raisins on top of the rice. Sprinkle with the cilantro.
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Reviews (5)
Back to TopThis is a delicious dish. Many wonderful and unique flavors. I found fresh goat meat at a local halal market. The recipe omitted the baking temperature on the roasting of garlic and the last 20mins of the goat combination. I baked it for 20mins on 400. The next time I will add about 1/2c of more liquids to make the paste. The rice and goat combination could use a little more juice. This may be my preference, The dish is absolutely delicious. FYI: This is a dish you have to plan. Simple, but not a last minute thought. It is worth the planning!!!!
sanmc tex
Hurst TX
2/27/2021
This turned out fantastic! Great flavors. I was able to find fresh goat at a local halal market. Surprisingly I also found frozen goat at my normal grocery store. In the directions I believe it states to put the cloves in instead of cloves of garlic. I baked it at 375 at the end and it worked out fine. Really a pretty simple recipe for complex flavors.
Anonymous
Portland, OR
1/1/2021
While I made it with chicken thighs and it was very tasty, it is a poorly written recipe. The author has you slice 4 cloves of garlic for rice but never tells you what to do with them ( I threw them in with the spices). She also omits the oven temp for baking.
cantorsc
12/30/2020
FYI The author mentions that it's really good with chicken thighs... Planning to try it soon! So the 1 seems a little snarky.
durangoelizabeth
Durango, Colorado
12/29/2020
We regularly eat goat on our travels but it is not readily available. Alternatives should be provided.
catherine_ruckert
12/28/2020