Lucknowi

Goat Biryani

1 kg goat pieces, large (retain bones and some fat)

750 grams (roughly 4 cups) Fortune Biryani

Rice, rinsed and soaked for 15 minutes

½ cup oil

2 sticks cinnamon

4-5 cloves

1 medium-sized onion, sliced

In the same oil, put in the marinated chicken. Layer single file if possible. Spread half the rice on top. Then add the fried onions, the green masala and lime juice. Layer the rest of the rice on top. Now pour in the cup of oil and ghee if using.

Cover with teatowel and tighten with lid. Place on a hot iron tawa and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)

4 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Red chilli powder to taste

50g yoghurt

A few strands saffron

1 tbsp kewra water

Heat oil in heavy-bottomed pan and add cinnamon and cloves. Stir until flavours are infused in the oil. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Introduce meat and saute on high flame, stirring constantly. Add ginger-garlic paste and continue to stir. When nicely browned, add red chilli powder, salt and yoghurt. Mix well and let cook for 3-4 more minutes. Then add 500 ml water and the kewra water, stir and then cover and cook until meat is beginning to separate from the bones. Turn off heat and cool completely.

The oil will by now have risen to the top, and will be infused with the colour of the spices. Use a deep spoon to siphon off all the excess oil – this will be come to use a bit later.

Add milk, cream, saffron and the ground masala. Mix well and cover tightly to incorporate.

To cook rice, heat water in another pan and add a stick of cinnamon, the cardamom pods and salt to taste. When hot put in the soaked

Salt to taste

250 ml milk

4 tbsp cream

3-4 pods green cardamom

1 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp sugar

1 tbsp rose water

For Masala Powder; grind together

7 pods green cardamom

2 tbsp white pepper pods

8-10 blades of mace rice. Cook until 75% done, and then sieve through a colander.

Meanwhile, bring out the siphonedoff cooking oil and add to it ghee, sugar and rose water. Mix well.

Assemble biryani in a heavy bottomed pan. Put in a layer of rice at the bottom, and then spoon some of the meat and gravy over. Spoon some of the flavoured oil over.

Repeat with another layer of rice, meat and gravy, and flavoured oil. Finish off with a final layer of rice and pour the rest of the flavoured oil all over.

Cover tightly with teatowel or alfoil and cook on high for five minutes. Then cook on low heat on top of a hot iron tawa for 20-25 minutes.

(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)