Raisin, Almond and Peach Lamb Breyani

The sheer mention of Breyani gets my whole family very excited and we love everything about it - the gently flavours and generous helpings is something that I grew up with.

Here is an exciting twist to this hearty winter dish. We used roasted cocktail lamb sosaties for this recipe and you ca easily substitute with chicken, seafood or favourite vegetables.

Serves 6 to 8
Prep Time: min 1 hour
Baking Time: 20 to 30 min
Oven Temperature: 180 degrees celsius
Easy to prepare

Ingredients

250 g Montagu Cling Peaches
8 Rooibostea Bags
150 g of Montagu Almonds lightly crushed
150 g of Montagu Raisins
200 g cherry tomatoes
Olive Oil
2 large onions chopped
Olive oil and a knob of butter
5 cloves of grated garlic
1 large thumb of grated ginger
40 g of breyani mixed whole spices
15 ml of turmeric
30 ml of your favourite masala
2 cups of raw Brown Rice - cooked
1 cup of raw red lentils - cooked
300 g of cooked and peeled baby potatoes
200 g of blanched baby carrots - halved
500 g Mini Lamb Kebabs - oven roasted and kept warm
Fresh coriander
Double cream yogurt to serve
Salt and pepper to season every step of your cooking, gently layering the flavour

Make one liter of strong rooibostea and pour over the cling peaches - let it stand for at least an hour or overnight to swell out and absorb the juices - strain and keep the peach juice aside
Toast the almonds in a pan until golden brown and set aside
Place the tomatoes in a skillet and cover with a generous amount of olive oil and pan fry until the skins start breaking ad releasig the tomato juices. Add the raisins and gently cook over low heat until soft for about 3 to 4 minutes - spoon out and set aside to rest and allow the raisins to absorb the pan juices
In the same pan roast the onions with some olive oil and a knob of butter until golden brown add the garlic and ginger and gently cook for about two minutes the add the breyani spices, turmeric and masala and roast for about another two minutes
Place the brown rice in a large pot, season with salt and pepper and start spooning in the lentils, baby potatoes, carrots, cooked onion-spice mixture and stir through, pour over 2 cups of the rooibos tea and peach juice and gently warm in a 180 degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes
Spoon the breyani mixture into a large serving dish and garnish with the raisin and tomatoes, roasted almonds and handfuls of fresh coriander

Notes and Tips

Replace the lamb with your favourite meat or vegetables for a vegetarian option
Make the breyani in advance and let it stand for a couple if hours to develop in flavour
Serve with sambals and double cream minted yoghurt and some pan fried rootis