MUGHLAI BIRYANI
Ingredients:
2 inch ginger 1 tbs
Chopped mint leaves
6 clove garlic
2 green chillies chopped
¾ cup blanched almond
½ bunch chopped cilantro
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime
6 tbs. ghee 1 cup yogurt
2 medium onions, thinly sliced 3 cups half-cooked rice
1 ½ lbs lamb cubed
4 tbs milk
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp saffron
1 cup water
Butter
1 bay leaf
Crumbled Rose water
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp turmeric
Method
Grind ginger, garlic, almonds, and cayenne pepper in a blender. Heat 3 tbs of butter and brown onions and set aside. Heat remaining 3 tbs butter and fry ground ginger-nut paste for 3 minutes. Add lamb, sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt, and fry until brown. Put in water, cover and simmer for an hour. In a bowl, combine the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, remaining salt, mint leaves, green chilli, coriander leaves, lime juice and yogurt. Mix well. When lamb cubes are tender and very little gravy remains, add spiced yogurt. Stir well. Dissolve saffron in milk. Butter a heavy casserole. Put in layers of lamb, browned onion and rice. Dot rice with Saffron milk. Repeat same layerings until all ingredients are used. Pour remaining milk over the top of the casserole. Dot with ghee. Cover tightly. Seal edges of casserole with aluminum foil. Put in a 300° oven for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with rose water before serving.
— as told to Namita Gupta
