Chicken or Mutton Biryani (INDIA)

Chicken or Mutton Biryani

1 lbs Goat Meat or Chicken cut into small pieces
2 t Garam Masala
1 t ginger / garlic paste
1 cup smooth plain yogurt
4 Red chilies
1/3 cup cashew nuts
2 cups Basmati Rice
½ t cloves
3" cinnamon
1 black cardamon
1 t whole black pepper
2 jalepeneo
Salt to taste
2 large red onions (sliced fine and fried till crisps)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup yogurt or 2 key limes
4 T Ghee /Oil
Saffron dissolved in 1 cup milk
1 T Ginger julienne's

yogurt and cucumber raita

Cooking the meat

1. Marinate the meat with yogurt, garam masala and ginger/garlic paste and set aside

2. Heat 4 tablespoons ghee and saute the red chili and cashew nuts. Add the mutton or chicken and cook until the fat separates from the meat and the meat is tender. Then add 1 cup water and cook until meat is tender.

Cooking the rice

1. Heat a small heavy bottom pan and add 1 T of ghee and fry the whole spices and jalepeneo. Remove.

2. In another deep pot boil 7 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. When the rice is half cooked usually 7 minutes put off the heat and strain the rice

3. Fold in the rice the whole spices and jalepeneo. Add salt to taste.

Preparing the fresh seasonings

1 Mix together the chopped parsley, mint with the fried onion. Set aside.

Layering the rice

1. Take a deep baking dish with a tight lid (the pottery pots are the best) line it with ghee.

2. Spread a layer of rice and cover it with half of the meat. Sprinkle half of the fresh seasonings and yogurt or juice of one key lime.

3. Cover with rice, followed by a mutton layer, then fresh seasonings. Finish with a rice layer. .Sprinkle the rice with saffron milk and dot with ghee.

4. Cover tightly and place in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Garnish with ginger julienne's. Serve hot

Accompaniment

1. Serve with yogurt salad or raita