Counter 04 · Lamb & Goat
Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani
Kacchi-style biryani where yogurt-marinated raw lamb cooks under partially boiled basmati, sealed with dough, so the meat and saffron rice steam together.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Hard
Hyderabad's kacchi biryani is the most daring version: raw marinated meat goes in the bottom of the pot and the rice on top, and everything cooks together under a dough seal. It sounds risky, but tender cuts and precise rice timing make it reliable. The rice should be boiled only to 70 percent, still with a firm bite. Fried onions go into the marinade and on top. Give it a full rest after cooking; opening the pot too soon lets the steam escape before the rice finishes.
Method
-
Mix the lamb with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, garam masala, half the fried onions, half the mint and 1 tbsp salt. Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Spread the lamb and its marinade in a wide heavy pot and drizzle with 1/4 cup ghee.
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Bring 4 quarts water with the remaining salt to a rolling boil. Add the drained rice and cook exactly 5 minutes, until about 70 percent done; a grain should snap with a hard white core. Drain well.
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Spread the rice evenly over the lamb. Drizzle over the saffron milk, remaining ghee, fried onions and mint.
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Roll the dough into a rope, press it around the rim and set the lid firmly into it to seal.
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Cook on medium-high heat 8 minutes, until you hear steady sizzling. Set the pot on a flat griddle over low heat and cook 50 minutes more.
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Rest off the heat 10 minutes, break the seal and serve by scooping deep so each plate gets rice from the top and lamb from the bottom.
