Hyderabadi special

KACHCHI LAMB BIRYANI WITH TILDA PURE BASMATI
Ingredients:
For the lamb -
1 leg of lamb. Ask your butcher to cut the leg through the bone into six pieces. Then cut these pieces in half so that you have 12 large chunks of lamb; crispy fried onion; 3 onions – thinly sliced; 500ml Rice Bran oil
Marinade ingredients -
2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste; 500ml plain yoghurt; Juice of two lemons; 2 green chilli peppers – roughly chopped; 1 tbsp cumin powder; 1 tbsp garam masala; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp cinnamon powder; ¼ tsp mace powder; ½ tsp red chilli powder; ¼ of the fried onion; 200ml of the oil from the fried onion; 30g fresh coriander – roughly chopped; 10g fresh mint leaves – roughly chopped; 1 papaya smashed into a paste (this is used as a tenderising agent and adds little flavour)
For the rice -
500g Tilda Basmati rice; ½ teaspoon cumin powder; whole garam masala (cinnamon stick, 10 peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp cumin seeds); 4 tbsp sea salt; 300ml milk; A pinch of saffron; 1 tbsp rose water; 6 tbsp melted ghee; 60g fresh coriander – roughly chopped; 20g fresh mint – roughly chopped; the remaining fried onion; dried rose peddles (optional); dough or silver foil to seal the pan while cooking
Method:
Start by making your fried onions. These can be made a couple of days in advance and then stored in an air-tight container. Retain the cooking oil as you will be using it in the marinade and when cooking. Heat the Rice Bran oil in a large saucepan. When bubbling hot, add the onions and fry until lightly golden brown. You will need to do this in batches. When ready, place on paper kitchen towels to soak up any excess oil. Store in an air-tight container until ready to make your marinade.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the meat and rub the marinade into it. Cover and allow to marinate for at least two hours or overnight. The longer the better. When ready to cook your biryani, bring about a litre and a half of water to a boil. Add salt, whole garam masala and rice and allow to simmer for seven minutes. Meanwhile, heat your milk until hand hot but not boiling. Sprinkle the saffron over it and stir in. Let the saffron infuse into the milk while you finish your biryani. After seven minutes, remove half of the rice from the water with a strainer and place in a small bowl. Cook the remaining rice for another minute and remove to another bowl. Keep the whole garam masala. The first batch will be about 50 percent cooked and the second batch about 60 percent cooked. Now spoon about 3 tablespoons of your retained onion oil into a large heavy based saucepan and pour your marinated meat on top. Be sure to scrape the bowl and add all the marinade. Spread the rice you cooked for seven minutes on top of the meat including any whole garam masala that happens to be in the rice. Cover with half of the fried onions, coriander and mint. Repeat with the second bowl of rice, fried onions and herbs. Spoon the melted ghee over the top layer followed by the saffron infused milk and rose water. Scatter dried rose petals over the top if using. They add a lot to the presentation.
Now it's time to cook. Either cover the pan tightly with silver foil and place the lid on top or do it the more traditional way and seal the lid on with dough. Heat the biryani over high heat for a couple of minutes. If you have a glass lid, you know it is time to turn the heat down when condensation accumulates on the underside of the lid. If you don't have a glass lid, listen carefully until you hear the juices simmering. Continue to cook on a very low heat for about 40 minutes. I know it will be hard to do after all this work but leave it alone. Do not be tempted to lift the lid. Just walk away. After 40 minutes, your kitchen will smell amazing. Yes, even with your tightly sealed lid, some still escapes. Take your biryani to the table and unseal the lid. Lift it and enjoy the amazing aroma. Using a large spoon, stir the meat from the bottom into the rice about three or four times.