MOGHLAI BIRYANI

Preparation of MOGHLAI BIRYANI:

Ingredients:

•    Pulao rice - 2 cups
•    Mutton - 500 gm
•    Lime - 1
•    Almonds or cashew nuts - a cup
•    Spring mint - a few
•    Fat - 6 tbsp
•    Coriander leaves - ¼ bunch
•    Onions - 1 cup
•    Piece ginger - 1 inch
•    Green chilies (finely chopped) - 1 inch
•    Garlic- 1 inch
•    Curds - 1 cup
•    Milk - ½ cup
•    Red chilies - 4 to 5
•    Turmeric - a pinch
•    Cardamom - 2-3
•    Cloves - 2-3
•    Stick cinnamon - 1 inch
•    Bay leaf - 2
•    Sweet cumin - a pinch
•    Saffron - a little
•    Wheat flour paste enough to seal pan

Method:

• Wash, clean and cut the mutton into small pieces.
• Peel and slice the onions, coriander leaves and mint.
• Peel ginger and garlic. Grind ginger, red chilies, garlic and nuts into a fine paste. Heat fat. Fry onions till golden brown and crisp.
• Remove. Add bay leaf, ground masala, and fry.
• Add tepid water and cook with lid on till meat is tender and gravy is thick.
• Boil rice till three-fourths cooked. Add salt.
• Strain curds with a fine piece of muslin.
• Add powdered cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, sweet cumin, turmeric, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves and mint.
• Add lime juice and mix well. Add curds mixture to mutton. Stir well.
• Dissolve saffron in some milk and sprinkle over half the rice.
• In a strong pan put in layers of rice, mutton and fried onion.
• Repeat till all ingredients are used up.
• Pour remaining milk and fat over the rice.
• Cover pan and seal edges with wheat flour paste.
• Place in an oven 143ºC for one hour and serve very hot.