Hari Ghotra’s aromatic turkey biryani is a fantastic way to use leftover turkey after Christmas. To make the dish, she sandwiches the curry between two layers of rice, before baking it in the oven until piping hot and wonderfully fragrant.

Leftover turkey biryani

Ingredients

 

• SAFFRON MILK

• 1 tsp saffron
• 5 tbsp of milk

• RICE

• 400g of basmati rice
• 500ml of water

• MASALA

• 400g of leftover turkey meat, chopped into chunks
• 4 tbsp of ghee
• 3 medium onions, sliced into rings
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 chillies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cassia stick, approx 7cm
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 2 tomatoes, diced

• ASSEMBLING THE BIRYANI

• 1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• 6 tsp ghee

• TO SERVE

• 1 red onion, sliced

Method

Begin by making the saffron milk. Combine the saffron and milk and leave it to steep and infuse

2

Rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear, then place in a pan with 500ml of cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until the water is absorbed. The rice should be slightly underdone. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly

3

Fluff the rice with a fork, working your way to the bottom, then transfer to a large bowl to fully cool

4

To make the masala, melt the ghee in a medium saucepan and add the sliced onion rings. Cook over a medium heat until caramelised and dark golden brown, for about 20 minutes

5

Remove half the caramelised onions and set to one side for assembling the dish. Add the ginger, garlic, bay leaves, chillies, cassia bark, black peppercorns, coriander, cumin, cardamom, salt and turmeric to the pan and sauté for a few minutes or until fragrant

6

Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook until they break down, stirring continuously, to make a thick masala sauce

7

Finally, add the cooked turkey to the pan and heat through for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside

8

Preheat an oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a large baking tray with baking paper

9

Lightly grease six ring moulds with a little butter or oil then place on to the lined baking tray. Add a layer of rice to each ring so that it comes up to about a third full

10

Divide the saffron milk between the rings, sprinkling over the rice layer, then top each with a teaspoon each of the ghee, caramelised onions and chopped coriander, reserving the rest of the onions and coriander for garnishing

11

Add a layer of the turkey masala to each mould and finish with a second layer of rice, pressing into the moulds. Add a drizzle of ghee and top each with the remaining caramelised onions, then bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until piping hot

12

Garnish each ring with the remaining chopped coriander then carefully slide off the rings and serve with finely sliced red onions on the side

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/leftover-turkey-biryani-recipe