The Gourmet Slow Cooker brings an upscale approach to this new-old phenomenon, using fresh ingredients in imaginative recipes that you can create all during a day’s work. Focusing on traditional one-pot meals from various cultures, recipes such as Apricot Chicken from India, Molé Poblano from Mexico, Neopolitan Truffle Risotto from Italy, and Boston Baked Beans from the United States are delicious meals truly fit to serve guests.
A traditional biryani is a festive one-pot meal of Moghul origins. Marinated meat, spices, and partially cooked basmati rice are laced with clarified butter and cooked in a tightly closed casserole until the meat is tender and the flavors are blended. Here, the rice is cooked separately and added at the end of the cooking time in order to preserve its texture. I have omitted the use of copious amounts of clarified butter.
Makes 4-6 servings
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Seeds from 3 black cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
6 to 8 peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup water
3 to 4 cups cooked rice, preferably basmati
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1/4 cup water for 20 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Combine the cumin, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon in a mortar or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the beef and cook, turning, for 10 minutes, until browned on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to a plate.
Add the onion to the saute pan and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 3 minutes. Add the spice mixture and stir well. Add the meat and yogurt and toss well.
Transfer to the slow cooker and stir in the water. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is very tender. Stir in the rice, peas, saffron water, and salt 30 minutes before the end of cooking.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.
TO DRINK A medium-bodied Pinot Noir from either Santa Barbara County's Sanford Winery or the Carneros district of Sonoma County.
