Biriyani Mushrooms and Lentils Curry

Ingredients A to cook lentils
1 cup whole French green lentils, rinsed a couple of times
3 cups tap water
¼ flat tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 shallot, sliced
1 garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 tsp ginger, very finely shredded
½ each fresh green & red chilli, sliced
1 tsp salt

500 g sliced brown mushrooms

Ingredients B
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 dried chilies – broken in half
1 sprig curry leave, torn
1 tbsp Latasha’s Biriyani Masala Paste
1 tomato diced
1 tsp freshly ground Garam Masala
Coriander leaves and lemon juice

Method
1. Bring washed lentils and the rest of Ingredients A to a quick boil, then simmer with a lid on until lentils are nearly cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms at this point and continue cooking for 10 more minutes. Keep aside.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a fry pan or small work. Add mustard seeds, fennel, dry chilies, curry leaves and fry until fragrant. Then add LK Biriyani Curry paste and equal amount of water, diced tomato, garam masala and cook on low heat until aromatic for 10 minutes. Add this mixture to the cooked lentils and combine well on low heat for 5 more minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with rice or bread.

HOW WE MAKE OUR BIRIYANI MASALA PASTE

The concentrated paste used in the recipe above can be purchased from all good stockists or online. Here’s the how we make if for you in our kitchen using only the best fresh and imported ingredients and slow cooking them to perfection;

As with many of our pastes, the work starts the day before, this time by caramelising onions into a sticky paste. This is done ahead because it takes a long time for the flavours to develop the depth this paste needs.

As soon as we arrive in the kitchen in the morning, we are greeted by our delivery of fresh ingredients from the markets including fresh Australian brown onions, tomatoes, coriander, mint, ginger, garlic and chillies to name a few.

The team spend the next hour or so carefully preparing all of the fresh herbs and blending, crushing and mincing the essential vegetables, nuts and raisins. Dry spices including cumin, pepper and fennel are weighed.

A pot is added to the heat and crushed onions, garlic and ginger are slowly cooked with blend of ghee, canola oil and Australian sea salt. Simultaneously, a selection of ground whole aromatic biriyani spices including nutmeg and cardamon are dry toasted and finely ground. The aromas cling to the atmosphere.

Each prepared ingredient is added one-by-one in a specific order, to ensure that they fuse and slowly release the right flavours. Lemon juice, milk and concentrate tomato paste are poured in towards the end of the cooking, changing the colour and further blending the flavours together.