This recipe comes from the NY Times, and it looked like the perfect dish to make for a cozy winter weekend. It did involve prep a day ahead, and was a little laborious, so I would save this for a week when I had the time to cook it. Overall, I liked it but it was a bit drier than I hoped. Some biryani dishes I've had are on the dry side so this wasn't a problem with the recipe I don't think. Another complaint was that the whole spices had to stay in while it cooked so every few bites I'd get a cardamom pod or a piece of cinnamon stick (also not uncommon), but I think next time I'd put these in a little bag and take it out before the oven step. On the plus side, the lamb was super tender and the rice was nice and fluffy, and the heat level with just one green finger chile and the 1 tsp of Kasmiri chili was a perfect mild-medium level. I also added currants to one bowl on whim and really like the pop of sweetness! And, while there was a ton of cilantro and mint in this I couldn't tell at all, all the flavors really blended nicely.
Ingredients:
For the Lamb:
4 green finger chiles (or serrano chiles), stems removed (I used one)
1 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
2 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 cup full fat yogurt
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kasmiri chile powder, plus more if desired
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more if desired
2.5 to 3 lbs lamb chops (shoulder bone in or boneless) (I cut this into bite size pieces)
3 Indian cinnamon sticks half inch each, or 1 large cinnamon stick
12 whole black peppercorns
6 cloves
6 green cardamom pods
1 tbsp garam masala
For the Fried Onions:
1 cup neutral oil like canola
2 yellow onions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the Rice:
kosher salt
water
3 cups basmati rice
For Assembly:
6 tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp saffron threads
2 cups mixed fresh cilantro and mint leaves
6 tbsp unsalted butter, sliced
Directions:
1. Prep the lamb marinade by adding finger chiles, garlic and ginger to a food processor until finely chopped. Add tomatoes and onions until smooth. Add to a ziplock bag with the lamb, yogurt, mint, cilantro, coriander, cumin, chile powder, turmeric and salt. Combine well and refrigerate overnight.
2. Prep the fried onions by heating oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook until browned about 25-30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and spread out so they don't clump. Set aside.
3. Add the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom to the remaining oil and fry over medium heat for one minute until fragrant. Add the meat mixture with the marinade plus one cup of water and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, on a low simmer (adjust heat as needed) until the meat is tender and the sauce is dark (about 2.5 hours). Add in garam masala, then chile powder/salt as needed.
4. Heat the oven to 350 F. Prep the rice by adding it to a large pot of salted boiling water for 3 minutes, stirring well and often, then strain and run cold water over the rice. Set aside.
5. Prep the saffron milk by warming the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Remove from heat and add saffron, crumbing it with fingertips as you drop it into the milk. Set aside.
6. In a large dutch oven with a lid, add 1/3 meat mixture to the bottom layer of the pot evenly. Sprinkle the meat with 1/3 herbs and 1/3 rice, assembling lightly without packing the layers down. Drizzle 2 tbsp of saffron milk over the rice and add 1/3 fried onions. Build 2 more layers like this and top with butter pats. Cover the pot with foil and then the lid.
7. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for one hour until piping hot. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving, digging all the way to the bottom with the spoon to serve. Reheat in a covered dish in the microwave for leftovers.
