Name: Pheasant biryani
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 4 small green, medium-heat chillies, finely chopped; 200 g ghee or butter; 1 tsp salt; 150 g wholewheat flour; 4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 12 pheasant thighs, boned and skinned; A good pinch of curry leaves; A good pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 2 tbsp hot milk; 60 g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated; 1 tsp ground cumin; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed; 2 tbsp garam masala; 500 g basmati rice; ½ tsp chilli powder; 100-120 ml water; 250 ml thick natural yoghurt; 12-15 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed; 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mark Hix on Baking

By Mark Hix

Published 2012

About

This is not the kind of biryani you’ll find in your average curry house, which is unfortunate because a well-made biryani has a lot going for it. This makes an impressive dinner party dish if you are putting on an Indian spread — lift the lid off at the table to reveal the fluffy rice and saffron and the fragrant spices underneath. I’ve noticed pheasant thighs becoming more readily available in supermarkets and good butchers, but if you are struggling to find them you could always use chick