Lamb Pulao Shahzada

Ingredients:

500 grams basmati rice
1 kg mutton (lamb)
25 grams ginger
24 flakes garlic
4 large cardamoms
8 cloves
2” piece cinnamon stock
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
a large pinch each of nutmeg and mace
75 grams almonds (blanched)
50 grams raisins
1 cup milk
½ tsp saffron strands
1 large cup sour curd
2 tbsps garam masala
1 tbsp each of cummin and coriander seeds (ground)
salt and chilli powder to taste
2 cups ghee
500 grams onions (sliced thin)
ghee for frying
6 medium- sized potatoes ( peeled, cubed and fried)
a little flour

Directions:

Grind half the ginger, garlic, and whole spices to a paste and tie the paste in a piece of cloth . Remove the bones and scraps from the mutton (lamb) and place in a large vessel, along with spice bag. Fill the vessel about ¾ full with hot water, and surface. Then remove from fire, squeeze out the liquid from the spice bag, and strain the stock through a cloth.

Now grind half the almonds and the raisins to a paste and dissolve the paste in ½ cup of milk. Dissolve the saffron in the remaining milk. Grind the remaining garlic and ginger to a paste and mix into the mutton (lamb), along with the curd, ground spices and salt. Set aside for 1 hour.

Heat 1 cup of ghee and fry the onions till crisp and brown. Set half the onions aside in a plate. Add the mutton to the rest, then cover and cook over a medium fire till the mutton is almost done. Now add the almonds and raisin, milk and cook till the ghee floats to the top. Remove from fire. Heat another cup of ghee in a separate vessel and add the remaining whole spices, then the rice and fry for 5 minutes. Now add the stock, along with enough water to stand an inch above the level of the rice.

Bring the stock to a boil, reduce heat and cook till the rice is almost done. Fry the remaining almonds and raisins. Now grease a large vessel and in it arrange the rice, mutton, potatoes, fried onions and nuts in layers. Start and finish with a layer of rice. Sprinkle the whole with saffron milk. Cover with a tight- fitting lid and seal with flour dough. Place the vessel over high fire , and reduce the heat when the steam starts escaping. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve piping hot with any salad or raita.