2.5 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Few slices of lemon
2 to 3 leaves of fresh mint
Salt
2 tablespoons oil
6-8 cups of water
For the topping / dum
1/4 cup milk
Few drops yellow food color dissolved in a little bit of water
Handful of chopped coriander
1-2 tablespoons of ghee butter or oil
Instructions
For the Beef Curry / Masala
In a pressure cooker pot, heat oil and add the thinly sliced onion. Saute until the onion is golden brown.
Once the onion is golden, add the beef cubes along with the ginger garlic paste. Saute on high heat until the beef changes color.
Now add the tomatoes, yogurt and the whole spices (cardamom, peppercorn, cloves, and salt).
Also add the Shan Biryani Masala.
Cook on high heat, while constantly stirring for about 5-7 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, the beef should be submerged in liquid.
Now cover the pressure cooker pot with its lid and bring to pressure. The cooking time will vary from 5-10 minutes depending on the cut of the beef and also the size of the beef pieces. The beef I used took about 10 minutes to cook through.
Now add the cubed potato.
Cook the beef on high heat, stirring frequently until excess liquid has evaporated and the oil has separated from the curry. Also the cubed potato should be almost cooked through too.
For the Rice
Now in another large pot, bring water to a boil and add the rice, cumin seeds, lemon, chopped mint, oil and salt. Cook the rice until it is parboiled (3/4 cooked). Drain the rice in a colander.
For Assembling:
In a separate large pot, layer half of the rice. Then add the beef curry, and top with sliced lemon and chopped coriander.
Cover with the remaining rice.
Drizzle over the milk, and some yellow food colouring mixed with water.
Drizzle with melted ghee or butter.
Sprinkle more chopped coriander and lemon slices if desired.
Cover and steam cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
750g (1.5 lb) chicken thighs , skin on, bone in, halved along bone (Note 1)
Marinade:
2/3 cup (150 ml) yoghurt , plain
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
6 garlic cloves , minced
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust spiciness to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp garam marsala (Note 2)
2 tsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp paprika , sweet / ordinary (not smoked)
1 3/4 tsp salt
Par Boiled Rice:
2 tbsp salt
10 cloves
5 dried bay leaves
1 star anise
6 green cardamon pods
2 1/4 cups (450g) uncooked basmati rice (Note 3)
Crispy Onions (Note 4):
2 medium onions (yellow, brown) , halved and finely sliced
1 cup (250 ml) oil , for frying
Saffron:
1 tsp saffron threads (loosely packed) (Note 5)
2 tbsp warm water
Biryani:
1 cup coriander / cilantro , chopped
1/4 cup (60g) ghee or unsalted butter , melted (Note 6)
Garnish:
Crispy onions (above)
Chopped coriander / cilantro
Yoghurt (Note 7)
Instructions
Mix Marinade in a large pot (about 26cm / 11″ diameter). Add chicken and coat well. Marinade 20 minutes to overnight.
Par Boiled Rice:
Bring 3 litres / 3 quarts water to the boil, add salt and spices.
Add rice, bring back up to the boil then cook for 4 minutes, or until rice is just cooked still a bit firm in the middle. Rice will taste salty at this stage, disappears in next stage of cooking.
2 – 3 tsp coarsely crushed whole black peppercorns (or canned green peppercorns, drained) (Note 4)
Instructions
Take the steaks out of the fridge 20 minutes before planning to cook.
Crush the pepper using a rolling pin, mortar and pestle or the side of a hardy knife.
Steaks:
Just before cooking, sprinkle both sides of steak generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
Add steaks and cook the first side for 2 minutes until it has a great crust, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes (for medium rare).
Stack the steaks on top of each other, then use tongs to sear the fat strip.
Transfer to plate, cover loosely with foil to rest while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
Add brandy or cognac into the same skillet and let it simmer rapidly, scraping the bottom of the pan, until it has mostly reduced and you can no longer smell the harsh alcohol smell (~1 min).
Add broth, bring to simmer and let it simmer rapidly for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reduces by half.
Turn heat down to medium. Add cream and pepper, stir, then simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until it thickens (do not let it boil rapidly).
Taste sauce, adjust salt (and pepper!) to taste.
Transfer steaks to warmed serving plates. Spoon over sauce. Serve immediately! Pictured with Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Garlic Spinach. (Note 6)
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.
Bake sweet potato – Rub sweet potato steaks with oil, then sprinkle each side evenly with spice mix (don’t rub, it smears). Bake 45 – 50 minutes until potato is soft. Don’t flip.
Tahini yogurt sauce – Whisk ingredients in a medium heat-proof bowl until mostly combined. Microwave for 20 seconds on high. Whisk again – it will be like softly whipped cream! Use warm or at room temp.
Toast pine nuts in a small pan (no oil) preheated over medium heat. Once lightly golden, remove into a bowl.
Topping – In the same pan, heat oil (still on medium). Add all Topping ingredients and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden. Transfer into a bowl immediately.
Assemble – Smear most of the yogurt sauce on plate (save some for drizzling). Put sweet potato on top. Sprinkle with Topping, drizzle with yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with pine nuts, coriander and sumac. EAT with crunchy toasted flatbread!
Prepare resting tray: Place a rack on a tray. (Note 3)
Oil and season tuna: Drizzle half the oil over the tuna. Smear over one side, then sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Flip and repeat.
Heat skillet: Heat skillet (preferably a skillet with grille lines) over high heat until smoking hot. The hotter, the better!
Oil skillet (if required): If your skillet is not well-seasoned, brush skillet with olive oil or take pan off stove and spray with any oil (SAFETY WARNING! Note 4)
Cook first side: Place tuna steak in the skillet (I do one at a time for best results, Note 5) and cook for 45 seconds.
Rotate for grill lines: Turn steak 45 degree. Continue cooking another 45 seconds.
Cook other side: Flip tuna carefully, then leave for 1 minute or until the internal temperature in the middle reads 48°C / 118°F (Note 6).
Rest: Remove tuna from skillet and place on rack. Rest for 5 minutes – it will cool down almost to room temperature. This is desirable for easier slicing and better eating (Note 7) Serve! See Note 2 for sauce options.
Mix together mustard, garlic and onion powder. Then mix in remaining ingredients.
Place beef in a ziplock bag with Marinade and marinade overnight (12 – 24 hours).
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature – key for even cooking of steaks. Shake off excess marinade.
Brush BBQ Grills with oil, then heat on high heat until is really hot – you should see wisps of smoke. Or heat a heavy based skillet on high until very hot, then add oil – it will heat almost instantly.
Add steaks. For 2cm / 3/4″ thick steaks, cook the first side for 2 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes (medium rare 52°C/125°F, chart below for other doneness temps). (Note 3)
Remove from skillet onto a WARM plate, cover loosely with foil and set aside for 5 minutes.
Serve! I couldn’t resist garlic butter – see recipe in notes.
2 beef tenderloin steaks, around 150g/5oz each (Note 1)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
Sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce, all purpose (Note 2)
2 tbsp Mirin (Note 3)
3 tbsp cooking sake (Note 3)
45g/3tbsp unsalted butter
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ginger, minced (can exclude)
3 tsp shallots/scallions (green part) or chives, finely chopped
Instructions
Take the steak out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to cooking (or 10 minutes if it’s a stinking hot summer day).
Combine soy sauce, Mirin and sake in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until smoking. Add steak and cook to your liking. Mine were 150g/5oz each and 3cm/1.25″ thick and I cooked it 3 minutes on the 1st side and 2 minutes on the second side for medium rare.
Transfer steak onto a plate and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes.
Let the skillet cool down a bit then return to the stove over medium high heat. Add Sauce and bring to simmer, then add butter. When the butter melts and is incorporated into the sauce, immediately remove it from the stove.
Stir through garlic, ginger and 2 tsp of shallots (reserve rest for garnish), the sauce should be slightly thickened (if not, keep stirring, thickens more as it cools).
Place steak on plates and spoon over sauce. I served the steaks with finely shredded cabbage without dressing (very typical Japanese side) and white rice, plus some edamame on the side.
Cowboy butter (pictured in post – Tomahawk worthy!)
Bearnaise sauce
Cafe de Paris
Creamy mushroom sauce
Chimichurri sauce
Blue cheese sauce (page 330 of Dinner)
Red wine sauce (page 327 of Dinner, requires homemade beef stock)
Dijon or seeded mustard
Instructions
ABBREVIATED:
Season, slow-roast on rack at 140°C/285°F (120°C fan) for 40-45 minutes to 50°C/122°F. Rest 10 minutes. Preheat BBQ until screaming hot, drizzle steak with oil, lower BBQ to low/med low and sear on hot BBQ 3 – 4 minutes on each side (temp 55°C (128°F)). Rest 3 minutes (temp rises to 57°C/135°F = perfect medium rare ). Slice, serve with Cowboy Butter!
FULL RECIPE:
Oven slow-roast:
De-chill – Take the steak out of the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking. Remove from packaging and pat the surface dry. (Do not salt).
Preheat the oven to 140°C/285°F (120°C fan-forced).
Season – Sprinkle the steak meat with salt and pepper, then use your hands to rub it in.
Slow(ish) roast – Put the steak on a rack and set it on a baking tray. (Note 2) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 50°C/122°F (for medium rare, see Note 3 for other doneness).
Rest – Take the tray out of the oven and leave the steak on the counter for 10 minutes. (Internal temperature should rise by 3 degrees).
Sear:
Preheat the BBQ on high until it’s screaming hot. Use the flat plate side if you’re not a confident BBQ’er, or the grill side if you’re a BBQ master. (Note 4)
Oil – Drizzle the oil on the steak and lightly pat to spread (don’t rub off the salt), using most of the surface area of the meaty part.
Turn BBQ DOWN – If using the grill side, reduce to low (if yours is strong, mine is) or medium low (for weaker ones). If using the flat plate side, lower to medium. Do this just before putting the tomahawk on.
Edges first – Using tongs, hold the steak upright and sear the edges and bone first (only if you’ve got meat on it), rotating and moving every minute or so to achieve this all the way around. Flare-ups – If searing on the grill side, don’t walk away – flare-ups are inevitable. See Note 4 for managing.
Steak crust – Then place the steak down on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature is 55°C / 131°F. For classic X grill lines, rotate once 45° partway through.
Rest the steak on a rack for 3 minutes – the internal temperature will rise to 57°C/135°F which is perfect medium rare.
Serve – Cut into 1 cm / 0.4″ thick slices. Serve with steak sauce of choice! (Pictured: Cowboy Butter, highly recommend!).
350g / 12 oz spaghetti , uncooked (other pasta – Note 4)
Instructions
Saute onion & garlic: Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook garlic and onion for 2 minutes until translucent.
Cook beef: Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go.
Add tomato: Once beef has all changed from red to brown, add tomato passata.
Rinse out bottle: Pour some beef stock into the empty bottle, shake, then pour into the pot.
Add everything else: Add remaining beef stock and all remaining ingredients except spaghetti. Give it a good stir, then let it come up to the boil.
Add spaghetti: Add pasta, fanning it out around the pot. Leave for 30 seconds to start softening, then start pushing it in under the liquid.
Cook pasta: Once fully submerged, cook for 12 minutes, stirring every minute or so, and more towards the end. At about the 8 minute mark, lower the heat to medium otherwise the base might catch (but ensure it is still bubbling gently – you don’t want pasta just bloating in warm water).
Remove from stove, toss well: Take it off the stove once the pasta is JUST cooked, the tiniest bit firmer than you want, and when still saucy. Toss it for about 30 seconds or so – the sauce will reduce further, the pasta will finish cooking.
8 oz / 250g fettuccine , or other long strand pasta of choice
30 g / 2 tbsp butter , separated
300 g / 10 oz small peeled prawns / shrimp, raw (Note 1)
3 garlic cloves , minced
1/4 cup / 65 ml dry white wine (Note 2 for sub)
1 cup / 250 ml heavy / thickened cream (Note 3)
1/2 cup / 125 ml chicken broth (or fish or vegetable broth), preferably low sodium
3/4 cup / 50 g finely grated parmesan cheese (1.5 oz) (freshly grated) (Note 4)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Black pepper
Parmesan , for serving
Instructions
Bring to boil a large pot of water. Add pasta and cook per packet MINUS 1 minute. (Note 5).
Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain pasta.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add prawns and cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove prawns.
In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp butter. Once melted, add garlic. Stir for 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add wine and stir. Simmer for 2 minutes until wine mostly reduces (see video).
Add cream, broth and parmesan. Stir until the parmesan is melted, then leave to simmer for 1 1/2 minutes until it thickens slightly (will thicken more in next step).
Add prawns, stir, then add pasta plus about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Toss pasta (still on stove) and the sauce will thicken in about 30 – 45 seconds and start clinging to the pasta.
Take it off the stove before the sauce is as thick as you want – it will thicken more.
Sprinkle with most of the parsley and black pepper, check salt (I don’t need more). Toss again until the sauce consistency is to your taste. Add a tiny splash of pasta water if it gets too gluggy.
Serve immediately, garnished with remaining parsley and parmesan if desired.
