Batchelor's Favourite Lamb Briyani

This dish is made by my better half from scratch. This is his signature dish, popular among his friends. It's been very long time he cooked for us, this week he had a holiday and he was home, so after a long time he gave us a chance to try his delicious briyani. I shouldn't say it by myself  but he is an expert in this briyani. Whoever tastes this briyani will definitely say this.

This is not a easy batchelor's way of briyani, but when my husband was a batchelor he used to cook this when he gets his turn to cook. This is one of the best briyani i have tasted in my life. The problem with this recipe is he doesn't know the measurements, because he always add the spices without measuring, he thinks himself as a 'Experienced Seasoned Cook' :-) Anyway this time when he made he measured it and he has also given all his tips to get his perfect briyani.
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
Basmathi Rice- 400 g
Lamb with bones-300g
Garlic paste-3 tsp
Ginger paste-1 tsp
Onion-3 medium sized( sliced thinly)
Tomato-11/2 medium sized( chopped)
Green chilli-3 sliced lengthway
Yogurt-2 tbsp
Mint leaves-2 stalk
Coriander leaves-3 stalk
Masala powders:
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilli powder-3/4 tsp
Coriander powder- 3 tsp
Garam masala powder-3/4 tsp
Cumin powder- 3/4 tsp
Whole spices:
Cardamom and cloves-2 each
Cinnamon stick-1/2 inch stick
Bay leaves-1
Sunflower oil-1/2 cup
Ghee-2 tbsp
Salt-as required
Method:
Heat the oil in a cooker, add the whole spices, immediately add the ginger garlic paste, after 1 minute add the sliced onion, stir well, add some salt. Keep the flame in low and cook the onions until they turn golden brown without burning. Once the onions turn golden brown, add the green chillies, then add the lamb and tomatoes, give it a good stir. Now add all the masala powders and stir well again, keep the flame in medium heat , cover the pan and cook for sometime until water leaves from the lamb, now add the yogurt, finally add the chopped coriander , mint leaves and salt. Cover the pan and cook the lamb for 5 to 6 whistles.
If you are not using a cooker, cover the pan and cook until the lamb is tender, stirring in between. Don't add water when you are cooking the lamb, let it cook from the juices it release.
Next step is to cook the rice. Boil the rice in a wide pan without covering, it has to boil well, using a spoon check the rice, it has to be grainy in the middle, in this stage drain the rice completely without any water and add it to the gravy in the cooker. Mix the rice and gravy gently without breaking the rice, this step is very crucial when you are mixing the rice , if the rice breaks when you are stirring it'll spoil the whole dish, as the starch from the rice will release and the briyani will become sticky. So take care not to break the rice and stir it gently from along the sides of the pan. Cover it slightly leaving a small air gap, keep the stove in very low flame and leave it for about 20 minutes. The remaining part of the rice gets cooked at this stage. Switch off the flame when the water is completely absorbed and the rice is well cooked.
Serve the Briyani warm with cucumber raita and boiled eggs.
Recipe For Cucumber Raita:
Yogurt-1 cup
Cucumber-1/2 peeled and chopped
Dried  mint-1 tsp
Garlic grated-1/2 tsp
Salt- as required
Mix all the ingredients together well and season it. This is also made by my husband.
He not only cooks, he also cleans everything after his cooking.

This recipe goes to the event, Festive Food:His Cooking Event by Indian Khana.