Sindhi Biryani

Ingredients

• 900 g bone-in mutton or goat shoulder, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 600 g aged basmati rice
• 250 g full-fat plain yogurt
• 3 large onions (about 450 g), thinly sliced
• 4 medium tomatoes (about 400 g), chopped
• 3 medium potatoes (about 400 g), peeled and halved
• 12 dried plums (aloo bukhara)
• 200 ml neutral oil
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 6 green chillies, slit
• 2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• large handful mint leaves
• large handful coriander leaves
• 0.5 tsp saffron threads soaked in 4 tbsp warm milk
• 2 tbsp kewra water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt, about 3 tsp in total

Before you cook

• Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear, then soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.
• Cut the mutton into 5 cm pieces, leaving the bones in.
• Slice the onions thinly and chop the tomatoes.
• Peel and halve the potatoes and keep them in cold water.
• Soak the saffron in the warm milk.
• Pick the mint and coriander leaves from their stalks.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
2. Fry the sliced onions for 15 minutes, stirring, until they are a deep even brown.
3. Lift half the onions out with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper for the topping.
4. Add the whole spices to the pot and let them crackle for 20 seconds.
5. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the mutton and brown it for 8 minutes, turning the pieces so they colour all over.
7. Sprinkle in the coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric and 2 teaspoons of the salt, then stir for 1 minute.
8. Add the tomatoes and green chillies, cover, and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.
9. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the whisked yogurt.
10. Return the pot to low heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes until the meat is tender and the oil separates.
11. Add the potatoes and the dried plums, cover again, and cook for 15 minutes more.
12. Stir in the garam masala with half the mint and coriander, then taste for salt.
13. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
14. Drain the soaked rice, add it to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes only, until the grains are soft at the ends but still firm in the middle.
15. Drain the rice quickly in a colander.
16. Spread the drained rice over the meat in an even layer without stirring.
17. Scatter over the reserved fried onions, the remaining herbs, the saffron milk, the kewra water and the lemon juice.
18. Cover the pot with a tight lid, or seal the rim with foil, and set it over the lowest possible heat.
19. Steam for 25 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and leave it sealed for 10 minutes.
20. Lift the biryani out from the side with a flat spoon so the layers stay distinct, and serve with raita.