Slow cooked biryani

Rice

1 tbsp ghee

1" cinnamon

1 cardamom

1 clove

2 1/2 cups basmati rice

1/2 tsp salt

water

Heat 1 tbsp ghee add cinnamon, cardamom, clove and saute rice till transparent then add water and salt. Cook rice till it is half cooked. Add about 1/2" water above the rice and cook in the rice cooker and remove the rice right away when it is done.

Can also cook the rice in 1" water above the rice and in about 10 minutes drain the water from the rice.

meat

2 1/2 lbs beef, mutton or chicken with bones cut into cubes

1 cup onion

2 cups tomatoes

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp curry leaves

2 tbsp masala powder (see below)

1/2 tbsp chillie powder

10 green chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1 cup coriander leaves

5 cardamom

2" cinnamon stick

1/2 cup ghee

1 cup water

1/4 cup coconut grated

10 cashews

Fry to garnish

2 tbsp raisins fried in ghee

2 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp cashews

2 onions cut into rings

1/2 cup oil

Fry raisins in ghee and leave aside. Fry cashews till golden brown and leave aside. Fry onions till golden brown and crispy and leave aside.

Grind cinnamon and cardamom to a powder and add for more flavour. Marinate the meat for about 15 minutes with all the spices.

Can use the same oil used for frying raisins and onion (if there is more than 1/2 cup oil remove the excess). Add ghee to the oil and saute the onions then add tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, marinated meat, chillie cut into small pieces. Add water and cook covered till the meat is well cooked.

Grind coconut and cashews into a paste add to the meat towards the end and cook the meat till the paste blends and the gravy is thick. There should be about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of thick gravy.

In a big pan layer meat with gravy, rice, coriander leaves, meat with gravy then rice and coriander leaves again. Cook in low heat for 20 minutes covered tight with a floured pastry to seal the lid.

It is optional to add egg yellow food colouring powder. To put colouring make holes with a wooden spoon then pour the colouring mixed with some water into the holes.

The rice will be fully cooked.

For the floured pastry mix a smooth pliable dough with flour and water. Here are some pictures of how to seal the pan.

Before slow cooking.

After slow cooking the pastry would have expanded and changed colour.

masala powder

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp saffron

1 tbsp split channa dal

Roast and grind to powder, this masala powder is used for beef, mutton and chicken.

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