This is an elaborate method and have cooked this leisurely for over 2 hours and in 45 minutes as well. Have made this for 4 people and 40 people using the same recipe. This recipe stands out as flavourful and light. After following this recipe over 50 times, over the last 6 years and with variations this is second nature.

Variations – Goat, Chicken, Prawn, Veg, Meatball Biriyani. I prefer a different approach for Fish and Paneer Biriyani. And of course there are other styles from Southern India like the Malabar Biriyani. This is closer to Lucknow or Northern India I think.

There is also a nice Rampuri Biriyani which I think is a story for another time.

The one that I am yet to crack the code of is the famous Dada Boudi Biriyani from Barrackpore, West Bengal in India.

So here is my take and pretty much sampled and loved by most people who have been to our place.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice – 1 Cup cleaned in running water and soaked for 30 Minutes to an hour.
• Goat Meat – 1 to 1.5 Pounds, small pieces
• Vegetable Oil or Ghee – 4l Tablespoons
• Onions – 2 Sliced thin
• Cloves – 4
• Cinnamon Stick – 1 Inch
• Mace – 2 blades
• Green Cardamom – 2
• Black Cardamom – 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste 2 Tablespoons
• Chilli Powder – 1 Teaspoons
• Curd – 1/2 Cup
• Fresh Cream – 1/2 Cup
• Feesh Coriander 1 cup chopped
• Fresh Mint 1/2 cup choped
• Saffron 5 to 6 strands
• Milk / Water 1/4 Cup
• Lemon Juice 1 Tablespoon
• Rose Water 1 Teaspoon
• Fried or Dried Onions for garnishing
• Salt to Taste

Steps:

• Clean and strain the rice. Heat some ghee in a pan add the mace, a few cloves, green cardamom and rice and mix. Add water covering rice and cook till rice is almost done. Gently mix from time to time in this process.
• In another pan roast the cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon and mace till fragrant. Once it cools rinse it in a processor to get a coarse dry mixture.
• In a big pan that has a lid, heat the oil or ghee, add the onions and saute in medium heat for a few minutes. Add the coarse mix and saute for another few minutes till the onions are slightly browned.
• Add the Ginger Garlic paste and saute till the smell of ginger goes away.
• Add the Chilli Powder, Turmeric and saute for a few minutes.
• Add the meat and mix well. Cover and mix from time to time for 15 minutes on medium flame. Add the curd and mix and saute for 10 minutes. Add the cream and saute for another 10 minutes.
• Add some coriander and mint when you see the meat is almost cooked. Make sure the meat is almost cooked before the next step.
• Put the flame to low, tip the rice on top of the meat, don’t press the rice hard to flatten, just lightly run a spoon and flatten the top.
• Add saffron to hot milk or water for 5 min and pour on the rice. Can prepare this earlier. Add rose water, lemon juice.
• Garnish with fried or dried onions, cashew, raisins, almond flakes coriander and mint.
• Put on the lid and seal with wheat flour dough for what is called ‘Dum’. Leave for 30 minutes on very low flame. Switch of let it rest.

Tips:

• Don’t leave the rice aldent, especially if cooking with clarified butter in winter.
• Make sure the meat is cooked or almost cooked before adding the rice.
• When sealed for Dum, make sure the flame is low.
• Vary with green chillis and more chilli powder if you want a hotter dish. I generally avoid and keep it light.
• Make with Chicken, add boiled eggs after adding the rice.
• Make extra masala and remove some before adding the rice with some small pieces of meat and add little water and and boil to reduce to a thick gravy. Season for taste and serve as a gravy for the Biriyani.
• Make sure you leave the Biriyani to rest sealed.