Ingredients:
- Rice, Basmati 21/2 cups / 500 gm
- Green cardamoms (choti elaichi) 6
- Cloves (laung) 10
- Cinnamon (dalchini), 1” sticks 2
- Cumin (jeera) seeds 1 tsp / 2 gm
- Nutmeg (jaiphal) 1/2
- Mace (javitri) 3-4 blades
- Water 10 cups / 2 lt
- Bay leaves (tej patta) 5
- Saffron (kesar), mixed with 1 tbsp
- water or milk a few strands
- Garlic (lasan) 50 gm
- Ginger (adrak), 1” piece 1
- Ghee 11/4 cups / 250 gm
- Onions, sliced 2 tbsp / 25 gm
- Cloves (laung), powdered 1 tsp / 2 gm
- Mace (javitri) 3 gm
- Cinnamon (dalchini) sticks, powdered 1 tsp / 2 gm
- Green cardamoms (choti elaichi), powdered 5
- Salt to taste
- Yoghurt (dahi) 3/4 cup / 135 gm
- Yellow chilli powder 2 tsp / 5 gm
- Saffron (kesar) a few strands
- Mint (pudina) leaves 1 sprig
- Vetiver (kewda) essence 1 tsp / 5 ml
- Onions, medium, sliced, browned 2
- Black cumin (shah jeera) seeds 1 tsp / 2 gm
- Lemon (nimbu) juice 1
- Cream 11/4 cups / 250 ml
Preparation:
- For the rice, tie all the spices except bay leaves, in a muslin cloth. Immerse in water and bring to the boil. Add the rice and bay leaves. Cook till the rice is half done; drain out the water and spread the rice on a tray. Colour half the rice with the saffron mixture. Mix the white and the saffron-coloured rice together. Keep aside. Grind the ginger and garlic and squeeze the extract. Heat the ghee in a pan; brown the onions and keep aside to cool.
- Then grind and mix with the lamb. Add the ginger-garlic extract. Mix in the powdered cloves, mace, cinnamon, green cardamom, and salt. Cook the lamb in a wok (kadhai) till brown. Add the yoghurt and yellow chilli powder. Mix well. Once the gravy thickens, add a little water. When the lamb is tender, remove the lamb pieces, and strain the gravy.
- Grind the saffron and blend into the cooked lamb. Mix the strained gravy with the lamb.
Line the bottom of the pan with ghee, add one layer of rice, then a layer of lamb curry. Repeat till all the rice and curry are used up. - The last layer should be of rice. Sprinkle the mint leaves, vetiver essence, fried onions and black cumin seeds on top of the rice. Add the lemon juice and cream, close the lid tightly and seal with dough.
- Keep the pan on a slow charcoal fire with a few live charcoals on the lid for about 45 minutes.
This is the traditional way of making biryani.
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