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Kenyan Beef Biryani is a delectable dish that combines the best of Indian and Swahili cuisines.
Prepared with tender chunks of beef, fragrant basmati rice, and a mix of spices. The meat is marinated in a blend of aromatic spices, such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, and chili peppers, allowing the flavors to penetrate deep into the fibers. The rice is cooked to perfection and mixed in the broth.
The dish gets its vibrant color from a blend of spices called Biryani Masala, which is like the the major ingredient. Here’s a detailed video on how to make Kenyan beef biryani.
Kenyan Beef Biryani Recipe
Beef Biryani is often garnished with fried onions, fresh herbs, and a squeeze of lime, adding an extra layer of depth and freshness to the dish.
Kenyan Beef Biryani
Ingredients
FOR MARINATION
- 500 gram beef steak
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 2 tomatoes (blend it for a puree)
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tsp whole cumin
- tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp cardamom
- Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 green chili, finely chopped
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
FOR MASALA
- 4 tsp Oil
- 5 onions (sliced and fried until golden brown)
- 4 tomatoes (sliced in cubes)
- 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh plain yogurt
- 15 ml tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 cups water
- 4 potatoes (washed, peeled, quartered, and fried till tender)
- 1 tsp salt
FOR RICE
- 3 cups rice (long grain basmati rice)
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 tbsp oil
- Orange food coloring
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Mix the steak with the rest of the marination ingredients and let it marinate for 2 hours, keep it in the fridge.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and cook until they are mushy and oil begins to separate from them.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste, followed by the cinnamon stick and chopped chillies and cook the mixture for a few seconds then add the marinade steak. Fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt with the crushed fried onions, tomato puree, sugar and salt. Pour this mixture into the pan and cook until the gravy is dry. Add water and turn the heat down and cover the saucepan.
- Allow it to simmer and cook gently for 15-20 minutes or until the beef is tender and add salt and spices. Add the fried potatoes and give it a mix using a wooden spoon.
- Bring a pot of water to boil, add cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and oil.
- Wash the rice, drain it and add it to the boiling water. Cook it for 8 minutes which is almost done and strain out all the water using a strainer.
- Put the rice back into the empty pan and sprinkle a handful of fried onions and some chopped fresh coriander. Then drizzle some cooking oil.
- Mix ¼ tsp of food color with water, then add the food coloring on one side and mix it up a bit with a spoon or fork and cover the pot.
- Steam it in low heat for 15 minutes.
- Serve Hot