#ad Halloumi, Date & Potato Biryani. With Ramadan and Holi coming up, I wanted to show you how I make my FAVOURITE vegetarian biryani from scratch. I’ve teamed up with my friends at @Ninja Kitchen UK to put their Ceramic Cookware range to the test with this long-grain labour of love. Spoiler: I was blown away by the crispy rice bottom 😄 I like my biryani to have a layer of golden rice and thanks to the silky CeramicLock technology of these pans, I managed to achieve the sought-after bottom with very little ghee or oil. The hard-anodised aluminium base seared and brown the halloumi and potatoes perfectly. Dry roasting the whole spices for my biryani masala was also done in a flash. After a quick wipe, they’re ready for the next step of the recipe (no scrubbing required!). I have the 5-piece set Ninja Extended Life Ceramic 5-Piece Frying Pan & Saucepan Set + Wok. They’re super versatile and suitable for all hobs and are oven-safe up to 285°C. Ingredients For the biryani masala: 20 cloves 20 black peppercorns 15 green cardamom pods 4 black cardamom pods 20cm cinnamon stick 2 dried Indian bay leaves 2 blades mace 5 dried red chillies 4 large pieces black stone flower 2 tbsp edible dried rose petals 2 tbsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp dried garlic 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp salt 2 tsp sugar For the masala halloumi: 250g halloumi, sliced and pan fried 500g baby potatoes, boiled and pan fried 2 tbsp ghee or oil 1 large onion, sliced 3 tbsp ginger and garlic paste 250g natural yoghurt 4 tbsp biryani masala 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder For the rice: 450g basmati rice, washed and soaked 2 hours 4L hot water 2 tsp salt 2 bay leaves 4 green cardamom pods 5cm cinnamon stick 6 cloves You will also need: 1 tbsp ghee or oil 75g dates, halved and pitted Large handful of crispy fried onions 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves Large pinch of saffron steeped in 80ml hot milk Liquid food colours (optional) Method: 1. Heat a dry frying pan over a low heat. Add all the whole spices and toss to combine. Cook over a low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Allow to cool. 2. Pile the spices into a spice grinder. Grind until the mixture becomes a fine powder. You might need to stop and stir everything once or twice. Add the ground spices and blitz again. 3. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the sliced onions. Cook for around 10 minutes until golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt, 4 tbsp of the biryani masala only (save the rest for next time) and chilli powder. Cook, stirring all the time for 5 minutes until the oil separates from the sides of the pan. Add the halloumi, potatoes and 250ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. 4. Boil the rice with the whole spices in plenty of salted water for 3-4 minutes only. It should be 80% cooked and still firm. Drain and allow the steam to evaporate for 5 minutes. 5. Place 1/4 of the rice in a lightly greased saucepan. Top with half the masala halloumi and potatoes. Add another 1/4 of rice on top. Scatter with dates, crispy fried onions, some fresh mint and coriander. Top with more rice and add the remaining masala halloumi and potatoes. Finish with the final layer of rice. 6. Pour the saffron milk over the top of the rice, along with the food colours if using. Garnish with fresh mint and coriander. 7. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes. Turn the heat up and cook for a final 3-4 minutes. Allow the biryani to sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid at any point until after this time is up. 8. Remove the lid and pile onto a large platter to reveal the colourful layers and incredible aromas. #NinjaCeramic #ad #biryani #ricetok #dinnerideas #ramadanrecipes #foodtok #holirecipes #mealprep