Hyderabadi Biryani

Layers of marinated lamb and saffron basmati rice sealed and slow-cooked on dum in the Hyderabadi style.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 5h
Cook: 1h 15m
Total: 6 hours 15 minutes
Vegetarian
❌
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Hard

Ingredients

  • 1kg bone-in lamb or goat shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 250g thick Greek-style yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp fresh root ginger and garlic paste
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 4 green chillies, slit lengthways
  • 30g fresh mint leaves
  • 30g fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • 3 onions, finely sliced
  • 500g basmati rice
  • 3 litres water
  • 2 tbsp salt, for the rice water
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 6 green cardamom pods
  • 4 cloves
  • 5cm cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp shahi jeera (black cumin seeds) or cumin seeds
  • Large pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 100ml warm milk
  • 1 tbsp rose water or kewra water
  • Plain flour and water, to seal the pan (optional)

Method

  1. Fry the onions in the ghee in a frying pan over a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper and keep the ghee.

  2. Mix the lamb with the yoghurt, ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, green chillies, mint, coriander, lemon juice, 2 tsp salt and half the fried onions. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

  3. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain.

  4. Bring the 3 litres water to the boil in a large pan with 2 tbsp salt and all the whole spices and shahi jeera. Add the rice and boil for 5 to 6 minutes until about 70 per cent cooked, with a firm core when bitten. Drain immediately.

  5. Spread the marinated lamb in an even layer in a large, heavy-based pan with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with half the rice, then drizzle over half the saffron milk and rose water, a few spoonfuls of the reserved ghee and half the remaining onions. Add the rest of the rice and repeat.

  6. Cover the pan with foil, then press the lid on tightly, or seal the rim with a rope of flour-and-water dough. Cook on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to the lowest setting, ideally on a heat diffuser, and cook for 1 hour without opening.

  7. Turn off the heat and rest for 10 minutes. Gently fold the rice from the edges to the middle to mix the layers, and serve with raita.