Biryani

Ingredients

500 gms Basmati Rice.
1kg Mutton (cut into small pieces).
2 tsp. Garam Masala.
6 Red chilies.
7 Cashewnuts.
Onions.(A handful, sliced fine and fried till crisp)
5 Lavang (Cloves)
2 Dalchini (Cinnamon Sticks)
2 pieces Elaichi.(cardamom)
3 Green chilies.
6 Kothmir, (chopped Fresh coriander)
1 small bunch Pudina chopped.
Ginger Garlic paste.
3 tsp. Saffron. (dissolved in ¾ cup milk)
Curd beaten 1 cup.
Juice of 2 Limes. 4 boiled eggs. Ghee /Oil 5 tbsp.
Salt to taste.

Method
Grind the chilies and Cashewnuts into a fine paste. Mix the mutton pieces with the ginger-garlic paste and beaten curd and Keep aside. Heat four tablespoons ghee or oil and fry the chili paste. To this add the mutton, ¼ of the fried onion, 1tsp garam masala and salt to taste. When the ghee separates from the mixture, add one and a half cups warm water and pressure cook till tender. Take a wide mouthed vessel, fry the whole spices in 1 tbsp. ghee/oil. Add the rice and fry a little, add green chilies and salt to taste and enough water for the rice to cook. When the rice is cooked, spread it on a plate and remove the spices (sabut masala). Make a mixture* of the chopped Kothmir, Pudina, garam masala and fried onion and keep aside. Take another wide mouthed vessel (a thick bottomed one) and line it with ghee, spread a layer of rice in it and cover it with half the mutton. Sprinkle half of the Pudina mixture* and juice of a lime. Put a layer of rice followed by a mutton layer and finish with a final layer of rice. Sprinkle the rice with saffron milk and some ghee. Cover tightly and cook for twenty minutes over slow fire. Serve hot.

Submitted by Uzma Ali Pakistan