Beef Biryani with Quinoa
My husband has been on quest for the past couple months to lose weight and my son, Zac, has been his own personal chef. When my hubby would try to lose weight before this he would just eat tons of cabbage and a lot of fruit.
He would lose weight but as soon as he was down to his ideal weight he would go back to his old habits.
Zac has read numerous books on losing weight and making it a life style change. So when we decided to make this dish, we decided to substitute the rice with quinoa. Seriously, your family will love it and just making small changes can benefit the whole family.
Beef Biryani with Quinoa
Ingredients: Simmer sauce: 1/2 onion 2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup cilantro leaves 1 inch piece ginger 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup water For the biryani: 1 Tablespoon butter 1 Tablespoon oil 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup raisins 1 pound beef ( pre-cubes meat, stew meat would work) 1/2 onion 1 Tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups Quinoa 3 cups beef brothBeef Biryani with Quinoa
Directions:
- Making the sauce: Cut the onion in half and set one half aside for later. Cut remaining half into quarters. Place in the food processor with the garlic, cilantro, and ginger. Puree until smooth, adding a little water if needed. Set aside.
- Onions: In a large ovenproof pan over medium low heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 Tablespoon oil. Cut the other half of the onion into thin slices and add to the pan. Caramelize onion until golden brown and they will be sweet, about 15 minutes. Add the almonds and raisins and stir fry until everything is slightly softened, and golden. Set aside.
- Beef: Return the pan to the stove and melt the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon butter and oil over medium heat. Add the beef pieces- sear them so that they get a nice and browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Place on a plate. Take a paper towel and wipe out the excess grease, and add the sauce to the pan.
- While it simmers, add the spices to the pan. Cook until you can smell those yummy spices, it will take about 3 minutes.
- Add the yogurt and about 1 cup water and stir until smooth. Add the browned beef with the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.
- Prepare Quinoa: While the beef is simmering, soak the quinoa in cold water and then rinse thoroughly to remove the starch. Heat 3 cups of beef broth in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Add the quinoa and simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. The quinoa should be partially cooked but it’s okay if it’s still a little raw. Drain off the liquid and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spoon the quinoa on top of the beef and make a small well in the middle for moisture. Sprinkle the caramelized onions over the rice. Cover with two to three tight layers of aluminum foil and a tight fitting lid. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
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Looks fantastic! Pinned!
Thank you!
I love Indian Food! It will be great to make some at home!
Great looking recipe… Can't wait to try this one!
Thank you!
So much flavour and protein in this briyani recipe! Looks very good!
This looks delish!! I love the spices! Hey I would love it if you link up with me on my new link Party – My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday! You have great stuff!! Here is a link http://www.cookinandcraftin.com/my-2-favorite-things-link-party-1/
We use quinoa quite a bit from stews to salad and in place of oatmeal in the morning some times and really like it. It does taste kind of healthy but in a good way! This sounds a tasty dish to have with quinoa as well.
Making lifestyle changes is definitely the best way to lose weight! We have been working on finding healthy recipes that we really enjoy, so that we don't have to deprive ourselves to eat well. Thanks for sharing this recipe with Hump Day Happenings!
This looks so good you almost wouldn't believe it's low-fat! Thanks for sharing at Pin-Worthy Wednesday!
What a great dish, we would love it! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week.
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Miz Helen
I love the quinoa sub. I've never seen a dish like this, it's amazing. I'm pinning this personally as well. Must try!! Thanks for sharing at The Weekend Social. Hope to see you girls on Thursday 9:00 PM EST. http://www.theKitchenChopper.com
What a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Home Matters Linky Party. I hope you will party with us again this Friday. #HomeMattersParty
~Bonnie
This is a wonderful, healthier version of this classic dish. Love that you have used Quinoa too! Thank you for sharing it with us at the Hearth and Soul hop. Pinned and will tweet 🙂
What a great looking recipe! Thanks for sharing at Freedom Fridays – pinned and sharing on Facebook! 🙂
I've never heard of these but it looks amazing and so flavorful! Thanks for sharing it at On Display Thursday, see you this week!
Oh this is so colorful and yummy looking! Thanks for sharing at Totally Terrific Tuesday! I love partying with you gals!
Jess @liverandomlysimple