Celebrate Eid al-Fitr with This Beef Biryani Recipe

If you’ve been wanting to make beef biryani but are intimidated by it, don’t be! In simplest terms, beef biryani is a delicious beef curry that’s layered with fragrant basmati rice. While made with a few specialty ingredients and numerous steps, this beef biryani hack is easier to make than the ones cooked in traditional vessels. Plus, all your effort will be rewarded by a rich and fragrant dish that’s perfect for celebrating Eid with your family.

Intensely flavored with a fragrant mix of spices, this beef biryani recipe adds another layer of flavor by incorporating Knorr Beef Cubes into the mix. Knorr Beef Cubes add meaty flavors that are equivalent to 1 kilo of beef so it’s a great way to make dishes like beef biryani even more flavorful without adding more meat.

Tips

The key to delicious biryani is melt- in-your mouth beef. Simmer the beef for as long as possible and if you find the pot drying up as you simmer, feel free to add a bit of water into the mix. You can also use a pressure cooker to tenderize the meat.

90 min.
6 People
Medium

Ingredients

1 pc large onion
3 pcs garlic cloves
1/2 cup wansoy (cilantro)
1 pc 1 inch ginger
1 tbsp unsalted butter, separated
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup golden raisins
500 grams beef cubes
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 pc Knorr Beef Cube dissolved in 3 cups of water

Cooking Method

Slice the onion in half. Slice half of the onion into thin slices and set aside.
Cut the other half of the onion into quarters. Add this into a food processor along with the garlic, ginger, and cilantro. Add a tablespoon of water and puree until smooth. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle to create a paste.
Add ½ tbsp of butter and ½ tbsp of oil into an ovenproof pot. Add the sliced onions set aside earlier and under low heat, caramelize for 15 minutes. Mix occasionally to prevent the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the almonds and raisins into the pan and sauté until softened, around 3-4 minutes. Take the mixture out of the pan and set aside.
Using the same pan, add the remaining butter and oil over medium high heat.
Add the beef cubes into the pan and brown them on all sides. This should take about 6-8 minutes. You can do this in batches for a more even browning. Once all pieces have been browned, set aside on a plate.
Onto the same pot, add cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and turmeric. Mix and let it cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the pureed mixture in the pot and stir until fragrant. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Add the yogurt and water into the pot and mix until smooth.
Add the browned beef cubes into the pot and let it simmer with the mixture for an hour. This helps tenderize the meat.
While the beef is tenderizing, prepare the basmati rice.
Wash and rinse the rice until the water turns clear. This prevents the rice from becoming too sticky.
Heat beef stock made from Knorr Beef Cubes in a small pot and bring to a low simmer. Add the washed rice and simmer for 5-10 minutes. This step partially cooks the rice while adding a rich layer of flavor to the beef biryani.
Drain the liquid from the rice and set aside.
Once the beef is done simmering, take it off the heat and spoon the par cooked rice on top. Make a small well in the center of the rice and finish it off by sprinkling the caramelized onions, almonds, and raisins on top.
Cover the pot tightly with two layers of foil and cover with a tight lid.
Bake the beef biryani in a preheated oven at 180 C for about 30-40 minutes.
Serve warm and enjoy!

There are several ways of making biryani with ingredients that include whole spices like cinnamon sticks and cardamom. This recipe attempts to recreate the delicious beef biryani flavors minus the fuss of finding all these ingredients to make it easier for you to make something delicious and festive for Eid. Most ingredients can be found in your local Indian grocery or ordered online. We promise all the effort in finding ingredients and making this beef biryani is worth it!