Contributor

Apr 82 min

Traditional Kaapse Breyani

Making breyani is a serious labour of love, but it’s worth every chopping, boiling and frying moment. For best results, marinate the meat overnight.

This is a traditional Kaapse breyani with all the begaates. Flavourful, aromatic spicy rice with tender pieces of mutton and gloriously soft potatoes. This family favourite is my mom’s recipe and it’s gevaarlik lekker.

Making breyani is a serious labour of love, but it’s worth every chopping, boiling and frying moment.

Traditional Kaapse Breyani

Mariam Ismail Baderoon

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg mutton pieces

Meat Marinade

  • 2 grated tomatoes

  • 1 mug buttermilk or plain yogurt

  • ½ a green pepper, chopped

  • 2 green chillies, slit in half

  • 1large onion, thinly sliced and fried until dark brown and almost crispy

  • 1 squeeze of lemon

  • 1 tbsp garlic

  • 1 tbsp ginger

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 star anise

  • 5 cloves

  • 5 all spice

  • 5 elachi (cardamom) pods

  • 3 pieces stick cinnamon

  • Salt

  • 1 tsp chilli powder

  • 1 tsp turmeric

  • 1 tsp barishap

  • 2 tsp koljana

  • 2 tsp jeera

  • 4 tsp leaf masala

  • ½ bunch danya, chopped

  • a few strands saffron

Rice

  • 3 cups basmati rice

  • 1 or 2 cups large brown lentils (amount depends on how much lentils you like)

  • a few strands of saffron

  • 6 potatoes, cut in half

  • 2-3 onions, sliced

  • 6 eggs

  • danya to garnish

  • 250 g butter

  • a few strands saffron

Method

Marinade

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and add the meat. Marinate overnight, for at least an hour.

Rice

  1. Parboil 3 cups of basmati rice and set aside.

  2. Boil 1 or 2 cups of large brown lentils, depending on how much lentils you like, and set aside.

  3. Add a mug of boiled water to a few strands of saffron, and set aside.

  4. Cut 6 potatoes in half, deep-fry and set aside.

  5. Slice 2-3 onions, fry and set aside.

  6. Boil 6 eggs and set aside.

  7. Chop some danya to use as a garnish. Set all of this aside.

  8. Cook your meat/masala mixture for about 30-40 minutes. Cook it in an oven friendly pot and make sure it’s big enough to hold all the other components. It should resemble a curry with a very thick gravy. I use a copper based pot so my food doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.

Assembly

  1. Dish half of the meat/masala mixture out. Add a layer of prepared rice on top of the meat. Sprinkle fried onions, a layer of lentils and some fried potatoes. Then add the rest of the meat on top and again layer rice, lentils, onions and potatoes.

  2. Add one last layer of rice and onions.

  3. Lastly add the butter and the mug of the saffron-infused water.

  4. This should go into a 180 °C oven for at least an hour (maybe slightly longer) until the meat is tender and the potatoes soft.

  5. Garnish with chopped danya and serve with boiled eggs and dahi, uiwe slaai or lekker atchar.

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