This is my version of an Indian classic; ‘ka kesar’ means ‘with saffron’. From the glorious Nizam Hyderabadi palaces to the Moghul territories of Lucknow, Delhi and Agra across to Kashmir, Lahore and Karachi and back to Persia, biryani has many regional variations. Lamb, hogget, mutton – even goat – are all traditional. The key is undoubtedly the beauty of the basmati rice and a slow, ‘dum’ cooking method. ‘Dum’ refers to cooking in a sealed pot; traditionally the pot is sealed with dough but here we use a tight-fitting lid.
This recipe is taken from Fresh Spice by Arun Kapil, published by Pavilion Books. Recipe photography by Yuki Sugiura.
Chicken Lahori is a very colourful dish from Pakistan, which is not at all hot but extremely full of flavour. It should marinade in its topping for about an hour before cooking and should not be cooked ahead of time. This can also be made with chicken joints and the marinade equally divided. It is best to buy either breast or thigh joints for this method, but keep cooking time to 90 minutes. Recipe from The Pleasures of the Table: Rediscovering Theodora Fitzgibbon.