Lucknowi Mutton Biryani

Ingredients

• 750 g bone-in mutton, cut into pieces
• 500 g basmati rice
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1.5 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 150 g plain yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground mace
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 4 cloves
• 5 cm cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp shahi jeera (black cumin)
• 2 tsp salt, for the meat
• 2 tbsp salt, for the rice water
• 500 ml water
• 1 g saffron
• 3 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tsp kewra water
• 1 tsp rose water
• a handful of mint leaves
• 2 tbsp plain flour, for sealing

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice gently until the water runs clear, then soak it for 30 minutes.
• Whisk the yoghurt until smooth.
• Steep the saffron in the warm milk.
• Knead the flour with a splash of water into a stiff rope of dough for sealing the pot.

Steps

1. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and fry the sliced onions for 12 minutes until crisp and brown.
2. Lift out half the onions onto kitchen paper to use later.
3. Add the ginger and garlic pastes to the pot and cook for 1 minute.
4. Put in the mutton and brown it for 6 minutes.
5. Stir in half the whole spices along with the white pepper, nutmeg, mace and salt.
6. Add the whisked yoghurt and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until it stops looking split.
7. Pour in the 500 ml of water and bring the pot to a boil.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes until the mutton is tender and the yakhni has reduced to a thick, clinging gravy.
9. Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil with the 2 tablespoons of salt and the remaining whole spices.
10. Drain the rice and tip it into the boiling water.
11. Cook the rice for 5 minutes until the grains are soft at the ends but still firm in the middle.
12. Drain the rice at once in a colander.
13. Spread the mutton and its gravy in an even layer in a wide heavy pot.
14. Pile the drained rice over the meat without pressing it down.
15. Drizzle over the saffron milk, kewra water and rose water.
16. Scatter the reserved fried onions and the mint leaves on top.
17. Cover the pot with a tight lid and press the dough rope around the rim to seal it.
18. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes to build up steam.
19. Turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 25 minutes.
20. Take the sealed pot off the heat and rest it for 10 minutes.
21. Break the seal, dig down to the base with a flat spoon and serve, bringing up meat with every portion.