Mughlai Biryani
Ingredients:
2 lbs lamb/ chicken cut up
4 large onions sliced thin
2 t. garlic paste
2 t. ginger paste
1/2 cup almonds
6 T. Cooking oil , salt to taste
1 cup yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chicken/ beef stock
2 T. chopped coriander leaves
2 T. chopped mint leaves
2 cups Basmati rice
Whole Spices: 1"cinnamon, 5 cloves, 3 pods cardamom, 8 peppercorns
Powdered Spices: 1 t. coriander powder, 1 t. cumin, 1 t. garam masala, salt to taste
Method:
- Blanch almonds in hot water for 10 minutes, and then remove skins.
- Grind almonds, ginger, garlic into paste.
- Cook Rice w/enough water 4" over the surface of the rice, cooking until almost done (firm whitish core) . Strain.
- Sauté 2 onions till caramelized - golden brown then set aside. Heat 3 T. of oil in another pan; add whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
- Add 2 onions and fry till translucent. Add ginger-garlic-almond paste; fry for 2-3 minutes. Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala. Then add meat, frying until fully sealed.
- Add yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander, mint, & salt to taste (if needed). Mix well. Cover & cook till meat is tender.
- Grease a baking dish and layer cooked rice, meat w/ gravy in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice).
- Garnish with the previously caramelized onions. Cover the dish tightly. Bake at 350 F for 20 min.