A Tasty Treat with Every Chef You Meet: Keema Masoor Biryani and Lapsi

Looking for a festive meal to make your Valentine this year? On February 10 join Karima and her Mami, Malek, as they teach us how to make a delicious new treat, Keema Masoor Biryani and Lapsi. Get your aprons on and your mixing bowls ready, you're definitely in for an exciting class!

----

Karima (Valla) Kassam is a healthcare professional with over 30 years of experience, including teaching, institutional management, and systems implementation. Her culinary skills were borne out of a necessity – i.e. feeding her family! Over the years, she has developed a love for cooking and baking, which she continues to perfect. Her multi-tasking skills allow her to balance life between her profession, her family, and her friends.

Malek Musani was born in Nairobi, Kenya, one of a family of 11 children, where she was commissioned to the kitchen at a tender age of 12 to cook for the family.

Malek is a hairdresser by profession and has operated successful Hair Salons in Nairobi and in North Vancouver BC.

Cooking has always been a passion for Malek. She likes to make all her menu items from scratch, instead of getting it catered. She loves to cook for family parties and has no problem cooking for 2 or 200 people. She has taken a few private cooking courses but develops her recipes from a blend of her previous knowledge, research and her intuition of taste.

Malek would like to dedicate this Lapsi recipe to the wonderful Ruhani, Mrs. Shirin Nazarali (RIP) who taught her this recipe back in 1973.

Keema Masoor Biryani (Instant Pot)

Ingredients for Briyani: (can feed 6-8 people):

• 1cup masoor daal
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1 medium onion
• 2 med tomatoes
• 1 tbsp garlic/ginger
• 1 tbsp green chili
• 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dhana jeera powder
• 2 tsp biryani mix (Shan)
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cardamom pods
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• food color
• saffron
• coriander (for garnish)

Method:

• Soak masoor daal and boil till 90% cooked. Drain water and set aside.
• Set instant pot to saute mode and add 3 tablespoons olive oil, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, bay leaves and cumin seeds.
• Add onion cook till light brown; add tomatoes (chopped) garlic, ginger and green chili paste, 1/4 cup yogurt, dhana jeera powder, salt, turmeric, garam masala and stir together. Can add biriyani mix powder (optional).
• Add ground beef and set pressure cook 5 mins.
• Quick release pressure, add masoor daal and mix well with the cooked beef.
• Add parboiled rice on top.
• Soak saffron in 2 tablespoons of water. Drizzle on top of rice. Can add fried onion on top of rice.
• Seal and pressure cook for 5-6 minutes
• Quick release pressure and garnish with coriander.
• Enjoy with your favourite condiments.

Lapsi

Ingredients (can feed 30-40 people depending on portion size):

• 1 lb cracked wheat
• 1/4 lb sugar
• 1/2 lb grated coconut
• 3/4 lb butter
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can coconut cream
• 1/4 lb maavo mixture
• 1/2 tsp kesar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup almonds and pistachio (optional)
• 1 table spoon raisin (optional)
• 4.5 cups of water
• food colour

Method:

• Preheat oven for 350F
• In small pot, add 4.5 cups of water, add sugar, saffron and food color; stir and heat this water.
• Melt ¼ lb butter in large saucepan; add cracked wheat and stir for about 5 mins till butter has melted.
• Add sugar water to cracked wheat and mix; add coconut milk and carnation milk and continue to stir. Let this cook for 5-7 minutes.
• Add maavo mixture and stir for another 5 minutes.
• Cover and place in oven at 350F for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 300F and continue to bake. After one hour at 300F, stir lapsi and cover for another hour at 300F.
• After the last hour, turn off oven and leave lapsi to cool down in the oven.

Maavo Mixture

Ingredients:

• ½ lb butter
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup gulab jamun powder
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped almond and pistachio mixture
• 1 tsp each of:
• Cinnamon powder
• Fennel seeds
• Cardamom powder

Method:

• In large saucepan, melt butter and add coconut; stir and cook for about 5 minutes until light golden in color.
• Add gulab jamun powder and stir.
• Add rest of the ingredients and stir and about 5 minutes.
• Maavo mixture is ready.