This biryani recipe has worked well for a few family dinners over the last years. The original recipe was from Chenna (a relative from Hyderabad who got it from his sister ) and a few suggestions online.

Ingredients (serves 6 adults)

Main ingredients

• 1.5 kg lamb, pieces scored lightly with a knife. We bought a leg of lamb and asked the butcher to cut it into pieces.
• 600 – 750 gms basmati rice, washed and soaked for 60 minutes. The quantity of rice depends on how well the rice yields.
• 1 kg onions, thinly sliced – use a mandolin to get thin slices, but watch your fingers
• 250 ml oil and ghee to fry onions (Note! some of the oil is also used in the marinade, after frying)

Marinade for the lamb

• 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 400 ml yoghurt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 3 tbsp biryani masala powder (you can substitute with Garam Masala)
• ¾ tsp turmeric powder
• 6 whole green chilies (or finely chopped, if you like the heat)
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Half the quantity of the fried onions
• ½ cup oil, saved after frying the onions
• 4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 generous pinch saffron (I omitted this)

Aromatics for Rice

• 4-5 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1.5 inch cinnamon stick
• 12 full green cardamom pods
• 12 cloves
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• Handful of fresh mint & coriander leaves, crushed

Layering, Aromatics & Seal

• a pinch saffron that is blended with salt and bloomed with ice cubes (my son chose ice-cubes for blooming over traditional warm milk and it worked just great)
• Remaining half of the Fried Onions
• handful of chopped mint and coriander leaves , for top layers
• 2–3 cups wheat flour mixed with water to form a sticky dough. This is used to seal the lid of the cooking pot.

Prep & Marinate (preferably the day before)

Fry the onions

Put the 250 ml oil and ghee mixture in a deep pan. Add the thinly sliced onions to the cold oil and fry on medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Strain the onions and set aside; save the flavored frying oil for later. Note! the onions go from golden to black very quickly!

Marinate the meat

In a big glass bowl or heavy-bottomed cooking pot, combine the scored mutton pieces with the lamb marinade ingredients. Massage thoroughly for 2–3 minutes. Top with a pinch of saffron, cover, and rest for between 2 – 7 hours (or overnight in the fridge).

Putting it together (the next day or a few hours later)

Cook the Rice

1. Remember to wash and soak the rice for at least 60 minutes before cooking.
2. Add water and the aromatics to a cooking pot and bring this to a rolling boil.
3. Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the pot.
4. Cook until rice is half-done i.e. 3–4 minutes once the boiling resumes ( watch carefully! the grains will begin to float).

Layering and cooking the biryani

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
2. Spread half the marinated meat evenly across the bottom of a wide, heavy-bottomed cooking pot that can be put in the oven.
3. Using a slotted spoon, strain half of the partially cooked rice directly over the raw meat. Wait 1–2 minutes.
4. Layer the rest of the meat over the rice and strain the remaining rice on top.
5. Scatter part of the remaining fried onions and chopped herbs across the surface.
6. Drizzle the bloomed saffron over the rice.
7. Poke 4 to 5 holes into the layered rice and meat using the handle of a spoon, down to the bottom of the pot, to allow the steam to escape through the layers.
8. Roll wheat flour dough into a long strip along the top rim of the cooking pot. and press the lid tightly onto the dough to seal completely (add a heavy weight on top if available).
9. Cook in the oven for 45 min. Leave it to rest for 10 minutes before attempting to open the lid. Note! take care of the heat inside when opening the seal.

Serve with a raita and some pickles or sweet mango chutney. Enjoy!