Pork Biriyani
Weight Watchers version of this traditional dish. It is excellent and easy to make. 4 points
Weight Watchers version of this traditional dish. It is excellent and easy to make. 4 points
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large onion
- low fat cooking spray
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 3 tbs skimmed milk
- 2 strands saffron strands (up to 3)
- 1 tsp ginger peeled and grated
- 325 grams pork tenderloin cut into bitesized pieces
- 1 sticks cinnamon
- 2 cardamon pods
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 250 grams low fat yogurt
- 300 grams basmati rice , cooked
- Carbohydrate 28.8031660708542 g
- Cholesterol 56.7921875 mg
- Fat 4.9864501491248 g
- Fiber 3.13901637945566 g
- Protein 23.1696252455865 g
- Saturated Fat 1.80702955206966 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (279g)
- Sodium 103.864550330988 mg
- Sugar 25.6641496913986 g
- Trans Fat 0.534579723822178 g
- Calories 253 calories
Step-by-step
- Soak saffron in milk for 10 minutes
- Preheat oven to 180F / 160C
- Soften onion, add garlic ginger and chilli. Add pork stir fry for 4-5 minutes then add the other spices and herbs
- Take off heat and stir in the yoghurt.
- Layer the rice and the pork in an ovenproof dish. Aim for two layers of each. Pour the saffron milk and lemon juice over each layer.
- Cover and cook for 30-35 minutes
Saffron does the heavy lifting in this dish, functioning not merely as a coloring agent but as a water-soluble dye that infuses milk proteins with complex, earthy aromas during its ten-minute soak. When layered into basmati rice alongside lean pork tenderloin and whole spices like cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods, the dairy prevents the lean meat from drying out during extended oven baking at 160 degrees Celsius. Unlike traditional biriyanis built on bone-in cuts, this version uses tenderloin, which cooks uniformly within the thirty-to-thirty-five-minute covered baking window without requiring pre-braising. Swapping the pork for chicken breast alters the moisture balance significantly, requiring careful monitoring since poultry lacks the internal fat content of red meat and can toughen rapidly under dry heat. Yogurt acts as a tenderizing acid for the protein while simultaneously creating a rich, cohesive sauce when combined with the pan juices and aromatics off the heat. Storing leftovers in an airtight container for twenty-four hours allows the starches in the basmati rice to retrograde slightly, absorbing the remaining saffron-infused liquids and whole spice oils more thoroughly than fresh grains can manage on day one. Reheating these leftovers requires gentle indirect heat, such as covering the casserole dish tightly with foil and warming it at 150 degrees Celsius for twenty minutes, to prevent the remaining dairy solids from breaking down into an oily separation. Freezing is structurally discouraged because yogurt emulsions tend to grain and break upon thawing, yielding a chalky mouthfeel that ruins the cohesive texture established during the initial layering process.
