Instant Pot Lamb Biryani

Someone got a new gadget for Christmas! And someone has time to work out how to use it now!

I have been interested in pressure cookers, from a safe distance, for a while. But I was still very surprised when Santa put one under my tree! The reason I haven’t gotten one before is that it seemed a bit daunting to learn a whole new way of cooking, and one that comes with its fair share of safety briefings.

I have never made a biryani because I was worried about the rice burning to the pot, and put off by the time it takes to cook it. So this meal felt like the natural first one to try out.

I completely didn’t believe that it only takes 7 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot. But trust me – it does! SEVEN MINUTES! But it’s not like that’s all  the time that it takes – you still have your prep, sauté and depressurising time, so all in all this probably takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. Which is relatively quick for this type of meal, but it’s not like dinner will be made in 7 minutes.

Sorry about all the ingredients, but the whole spices are really key to the flavour if you have them!

Meal prep life

I have found that some of the recipes for the Instant Pot don’t explain much and assume a level of knowledge. I am still very much learning so I will assume no such thing and explain as much as I can as I'm testing it out.

Za'atar Lamb Meatballs with Spiced Lentils

You can make this in a smaller number of pots and pans than I did, but I’m not sure if my big pot is oven-proof so I transferred it to one of my lovely oven dishes to cook. I was just thinking how I never use my various mismatching Le Creuset stuff so I’m glad I was able to get some use out of them!

One of my favourite flavours that I tried in Lebanon was za’atar – traditionally a mixture of thyme, sesame, and sumac. It is earthy and nutty and sometimes almost tart. And it absolutely sings when spread on fresh hot bread and rolled up into a wrap. My mouth is actually watering thinking of this wrap I had.

And of course it’s cracking with a bit of lamb.

Serves 4, you get 3 meatballs per person

Moussaka

I don't know about everyone else, but I plan my weekends around what I'm going to eat. And having days off means I can cook things that take a little more time or preparation. So I'm posting this with a fair amount of time before the weekend, because it's a perfect Sunday night feast.

I eat out at a local Greek place about twice a month. Don't  judge me. The food is delicious and it is really fun there. They bake cheese with honey and sesame seeds. It's damn magical.

I noticed that on their menu they describe their moussaka as a light and healthy snack. I was intrigued, because I always thought moussaka was a sort of Greek lasagna - meaty and rich, with a thick and cheesy white sauce.

So I decided to make it, and it turns out, it is just that. And in Greece - that's health food! Oppa!

Anyway, this is absolutely delicious and I would recommend you all try it. It's really good for you.

Lamb and Beef Koftes with Roasted Veggies

Okay, shall we do something savoury? I think this is a perfect meal for the start of autumn, with lovely rich flavours and a lighter side.

I know that I tend to skew a lot towards the Mexican food angle, and this recipe actually came about because I was wanting to cook something with mince and wasn't really feeling the idea of chilli con carne. Then all of a sudden, a little lightbulb lit above my head: koftes! Of course!

This is an incredibly simple recipe and completely different from the flavours that I normally cook with. This will be going on my standard rotation of meals, because it was a taste sensation! Feel free to serve it however you like – in flatbread with veggies, or with rice, or like I have, with some roasted veg and couscous.

Lamb Lasagne

New Year’s resolution FINALLY activated! Basically, I wanted to cook with a more varied meat selection. Lamb, bring it.

This is my first foray into the world of lamb, and I chose a simple way to start: lamb mince.  Recipe gratefully stolen from my aunt, who cooked it on a recent family outing and it went down a storm. Clearly, I had to try it out myself.

This is a great recipe if you’re not a fan of the creamy, occasionally stodgy, béchamel because it just leaves it out. Instead, you get a great meat ragu topped with some crème fraiche and peppers. Really scrummy.

The flavours from the lamb give a brilliantly exotic taste to the dish, and it is something I’ll definitely be making again. Leftovers are also a sheer delight, it reheats beautifully.