Lamb (Or Goat) Biryani

From Canadian chef Vikram Vij.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  kg lamb (a mix of chops, marrow bones with meat and medium pieces from the shoulder) or 1  kg  goat meat (a mix of chops, marrow bones with meat and medium pieces from the shoulder)
• 2⁄3 cup  oil
• 4  onions, finely sliced
• 1  teaspoon ginger paste
• 1  teaspoon garlic paste
• 1  teaspoon red chili powder
• 1  bunch  fresh green coriander, choppped
• 1  small  bunch green mint, chopped
• 4  green chilies, chopped
• 2  lemons, juice of

• Group A

• 4  cardamoms
• 6  cloves
• 1⁄2 cinnamon stick
• 1  teaspoon caraway seed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon peppercorn

• Other ingredients

• 1⁄2 kg long-grain rice
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1  large  pinch saffron
• 6  green cardamoms
• 8  cloves
• 2  bay leaves
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 2  tablespoons ghee
•  salt

Directions

1. Wash the meat and drain all the water.
2. Heat oil, fry the onions till golden brown. When the onions become cool, crush or grind them. Set aside.
3. Rub ginger and garlic well into the meat, then add salt, red chili powder, half the coriander, mint and green chilies, the lemon juice, the ground spices of Group A, the crushed onions and the oil in which the onions were fried. Leave to marinate for about two hours.
4. Soak saffron in milk and set aside. Take a heavy-bottomed pan, put in the marinated meat with the marinade. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook over medium slow heat till the meat is tender and liquids are not fully dried up.
5. Wash rice.
6. Boil about 8 glasses of water. Add the whole cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon stick to the water with a little salt and the rice. Parboil rice. Drain all the water and spread the rice in a flat dish.
7. Brush the bottom of another heavy-bottomed pan liberally with ghee. Place half the parboiled rice in a layer at the bottom. Cover with the cooked meat. Cover the meat with rest of the rice.
8. Sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice. Also sprinkle the remaining coriander, mint and green chilies. Dot with ghee, cover tightly and cook over slow fire till the rice is fully cooked and the fragrances blended. Serve steaming hot.