South African Vegetable Biryani

A delicious South African dish made with rice, potatoes, green peas and hot chilli peppers.

Ingredients:

• 3 onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 6 chilli peppers, crushed into a paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 150g lentils, dried
• 250g peas
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 250g green beans, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 sprigs mint, pounded
• 200g rice
• 6 medium potatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

In a large, heavy frying pan, fry the onions in the butter until golden.Add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste to the pan. Fry for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the lentils, peas, carrots & beans then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Add more butter if necessary.

Add tomatoes, spices and mint. Stir for 5 minutes.

Pour in 300ml of very hot water, cover and simmer until the vegetables are half-cooked.

Add the rice, potatoes, salt and another 750ml of hot water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is done and the water is absorbed.