Hyderabadi kacchi gosht biryani

Ingredients

• 1 kg mutton (goat meat), curry cut
• 3 cups basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
• 1 cup thick curd
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tbsp raw papaya paste
• 2 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric
• 1½ tsp garam masala powder
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 1 cup each chopped mint and coriander leaves
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced and fried golden (birista)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Whole spices: 6 green cardamoms, 6 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 sticks cinnamon, 1 tsp shahi jeera
• A pinch of saffron soaked in ¼ cup warm milk
• 6 tbsp ghee, salt to taste

Method

1. Mix the mutton with curd, ginger-garlic and papaya pastes, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, green chillies, half the mint and coriander, half the fried onions, lemon juice, 2 tbsp ghee and salt. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
2. Spread the marinated meat evenly in a heavy, wide pot.
3. Boil plenty of salted water with the whole spices. Add the rice and cook until about 70 per cent done; the grains should still have a bite.
4. Drain the rice and spread it over the meat. Top with the remaining mint, coriander and fried onions, the saffron milk and the rest of the ghee.
5. Seal the lid with dough. Cook on high heat for 8–10 minutes, then on the lowest heat (ideally on a griddle under the pot) for 45–50 minutes, until the meat is tender.
6. Rest for 10 minutes, then serve from the side so each portion has meat and rice, with mirchi ka salan and raita.