Ingredients

• 675 gms - rice, washed and soaked for 40 mins
• For the sauce:
• Oil for deep frying
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 medium sized potatoes, quartered
• 675 gms - beef, cubed
• 3 tsp - crushed garlic
• 3 tsp - grated ginger
• 4 green chillies, finely sliced
• 250 gms - peeled, chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp - tomato puree
• 1 tsp - garam masala
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp - chilli powder
• 3 tsp - coriander powder
• 1 small carton plain yoghurt (150 gms.)
• a pinch of saffron
• 6 cloves
• 6 black peppercorns4 cardamoms pods, opened
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) cinnamon stick
• a handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• Salt to taste
• For the rice:
• 1 liter (2 pints) or more of water, to cook the rice
• 1 tbsp - salt (or to taste)
• For the topping:
• 2 tbsp - oil
• 4 cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• 4 cardamom pods, opened
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp - whole cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp - yellow food color

How to Make Meat biryani

• To make the sauce:
• Deep fry onions and potatoes, separately, until golden brown (the potatoes do not need to be fully cooked at this stage).
• Set the oil aside.
• Mix all the ingredients (except a handful of onions, to be used later) in a large saucepan, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour, until the beef is tender.
• For the rice:
• Boil the washed, soaked and drained rice for 25 mins until just cooked (i.e. not mushy) and drain.
• Take a big ovenproof dish and make alternate layers with the sauce and rice and ending with the rice.
• For the topping:
• Heat oil and add all the ingredients except the food color.
• When the cumin seeds start to crackle, remove from heat and spread over the top layer of rice.
• Sprinkle the top with the remaining fried onions (saved from earlier) and pour the yellow food color over the rice in the shape of a cross.
• Cover and place in a pre-heated oven (160 deg C) for 50 mins, until the biryani has heated through.