Lamb Biriyani

This weekend was very special for me and my husband. It was our anniversary weekend, so thought of cooking something very special for this occasion, something that’s not an everyday dish. Some thing that is a real treat! So, I thought of making LAMB BIRIYANI. This is considered as a royal dish in India. Its basically rice, meat and potatoes cooked together. The original recipe requires lot of ghee/ butter, which is not so good for your heart. So I thought of cutting on the calories and make a low calorie version of the biriyani without compromising on the taste and have a guilt free treat. So here you go... 

For marination you will need:

Mutton/ Lamb-500 gms (or you can use beef as well)
Yogurt-200 gms
Ginger garlic paste-2 tablespoons
Meat tenderizer- 2 tablespoons
Shah Jeera powder-1 tsp

Cumin powder - 2tsp

Coriander powder - 2tsp

Red chilly powder -1 tsp

Cloves - 2 to 3 (crushed)

Green cardamom -2 to 3 (crushed)
Black cardamom powder- 2 tsp
Black pepper powder-2 tsp
Cinnamon powder-1tsp
Fried Onion-40 gm
Green Chillies-2 to 3 (crushed)

Rest of the Ingredients :

Basmati rice- 500gm
Potato- 2 (big size, peeled and cut into halves)
Coriander Leaves- 1 bunch
Mint Leaves- 1 bunch
Rose water- 2 tsp
Milk- 100ml
Saffron - a pinch
Butter- 20 gms
Oil for frying.

Method:

Wash the meat and add all the ingredients for marinating and marinate it overnight. 

Heat oil in a deep bottom non-stick pan, add the potato, fry till golden brown then add the marinated meat in to the same pan and cook in the low flame for next 50 minutes or till the meat is done. Keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Mean while half cook the rice, spread it on a plate and add the butter to it. Mix it with a fork and then add the saffron, rose water in the warm milk and keep aside.  

When the meat is cooked add the half cooked rice to the pan and mix it well. Now add the boiling water to it. Now this is critical, usually two portions of water is required to cook one portion of raw rice, but since the rice is already half cooked you will only need same quantity of water as the rice is. Mix the rice well in to the pan, add the coriander and the mint leaves, close the lid and cook until all the liquid is evaporated and the rice is cooked. Check for seasoning and take it off the heat. Serve hot with raita.