INGREDIENTS

For the rice
5 green cardamoms
5 cinnamon (dalchini)
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 tbsp rose water
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt

The meat
600 gm leg & breast of lamb
4 tbsp oil
1/2 cup onions
5 tsp garlic paste
21/2 tsp ginger paste
5 green cardamom
3 cloves
2 sticks cinnamon (1")
2 bay leaves
salt
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp yellow chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup cream
2/3 tsp green cardamom powder
1/3 tsp mace powder(Javitri)

For the garnish
2" piece ginger
2 green chillies
1/3 cup mint
1/4 cup coriander
1/3 cup brown fried onions-sliced
2 tsp saffron
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tbsp desi ghee (clarified butter)

METHOD

Soak the rice for 45 minutes and drain. Soak saffron in lukewarm milk.

For making biryani, cook the meat and the rice separately.

To prepare the lamb, heat ghee in a handi, add the green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves, stir over medium heat until it crackles.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes, and cook till garlic is cooked. Then add the meat and salt. Now add brown fried onions and yellow chilli powder and cook stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beaten yogurt mixture and cook until the fat leaves the sides. Now add approximately 2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the meat is almost cooked. Remove the meat. Add cream, mace, green cardamom powder and lemon juice and stir.

To prepare the rice, boil 61/2 cups of water in a handi, add cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Stir. Add rice, bring to a boil, add rose water and lemon juice, continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the rice is nine-tenths cooked.

Return the meat to heat and arrange half the partially cooked rice around the meat. Sprinkle ginger, green chillies, mint, coriander, fried onions and saffron, cover with the remaining rice, then add a second layer of meat, and garnish again like before.

Pour on the ghee, bring to a boil and remove. Cover with a lid and seal with whole wheat dough.

Put the sealed handi on dum on the gas or in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes.