Here are a few facts about Bangladesh:

• Capitals: Dhaka
• Population: about 157 million
• Area: 147 570 km²
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka

For the Bangladeshi dish I made a dhakai kacchi biryani. This is a delicious dish with lamb and rice and lots of spices! The cooking method is also very interesting as you seal the pot with some bread dough to keep all the moisture in. Alongside my byriani I made a simple raita. Here are the recipes!

Dhakai kacchi biryani

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 5 dried red chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 4 pods green cardamom
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 pound lamb
• 1 onion
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 1 large potato or 2 small
• 2 cups wheat flour

Directions:

First make sure the lamb is cut in 1-2 inch pieces. Put the lamb in a large bowl with 2 tablespoon of salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, measure all the spices.

Put the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick and red chilies in a small pan and dry roast them for a couple of minutes. Don’t burn the spices!

Put all the roasted spices in a pistil and mortar, add the mace and nutmeg and grind into a fine powder.

Chop the onion and brown the pieces of onion in a pan.

Mash the garlic cloves and ginger into a paste in the pistil and mortar.

Mix the ground spices, the garlic and ginger paste, 4 tablespoons of the browned onion and 1 cup of yogurt.

After 30 minutes, rinse the lamb to remove the salt, pat dry, put in a bowl and add the yogurt mixture. Let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

When the lamb is marinated, thoroughly rinse 2 cups of basmati rice under cold water.

Boil some water with salt, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and a star anise. When the water boil, add the rice and cook until half cooked. When the rice is half cooked strain and spread on a flat surface to cool.

While the rice is cooling, mix the wheat flour with 1 cups of water and knead for 10 minutes until you obtain a smooth dough ball.

Shape the dough in a long tube that will be long enough to circle the top of your dutch oven or thick bottom pot.

Quarter the potato and boil until almost cooked. Drain and brown the pieces in a hot pan with oil.

Brush the inside of your dutch oven with ghee.

Divide your rice in 3, add 1/3 of the rice at the bottom of your dutch oven, add 1/2 the meat and the 2 potatoes, add 1/3 of the rice, add the other half of the meat and finish with the last third of rice.

Place the dough around the top of the pot and use it to seal the lid on top.

Simmer on low hear for 1 hour. Serve with Raita.

Raita

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 3 green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

Measure the spices, chop the green onions, grate the cucumber and combine all the ingredients in a bowl.