Ben East

Here’s a succulent dish: Biryani!

Five layers of vegetable and rice pulao filling a casserole dish to the top. On the side, raita, a seasoned yogurt with diced tomato and shaved cucumber.

I prepared the vegetables and rice separately, for the vegetables chopping eight cups of colorful peppers, broccoli, peas, carrots, and green beans into one-inch bits.

I sizzled two medium onions in oil, added two cups of paneer, and into the molten fry poured a bunch of spices I don’t normally use: garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper. Such flavor!

For the rice I scorched more spices—cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cumin seeds—then poured in the water and basmati, cooking it as usual.

With these I built the casserole, two thick layers of vegetable between three layers of rice.

In my quest to conquer nine new meals this year, I served up biryani.

Or should I say, biriyummy! Very biriyummy!

 

 

 

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