Ingredients:

For marination:

Mutton – 500 gms

Salt – to taste

Shahi jeera – 2 tsp

Cardamom – 4-5 no

Cinnamon – 1 small piece

Turmeric – 1 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder – 1tbsp

Mace (javitri) powder – ½ tsp

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Ginger paste – 1 tap

Green chilli- 2 nos

Browned onion – 3/4 cup

Mint leaves – 1 cup,

Curd – 1 1/2 cup

Oil – 1/4 cup

For rice:

Water – 3 lts

Salt – 3 tbsp

Cardamom – 3-4 nos

Green chilli- 1 no

Basmati rice (soaked) – 2 cups

Water from Blanched Rice – 1 cup

Saffron – a very small pinch

Desi ghee – 2 tbsp

Dough – for sealing

Method:

For marinating the mutton, mix all the marination ingredients and place them in a vessel. Then cook the meat on low flame till it gets tender. In case the meat dries up, add a little water. In a separate vessel, boil water and add salt, cardamom, and chilli. Skim the chilli and spices, and add the soaked rice. Cook the rice till it is half cooked. At this stage, strain the rice, and add it over the cooked meat. Spread the rice over the meat with a ladle and add a ladle of hot water strained from the rice. Add two tablespoons of ghee, and drizzle soaked saffron along with browning onions. Seal the vessel with a dough and a tight-fitting lid. Cook it on high flame for a minute, and then lower the heat and cook on dum for about fifteen minutes. Remove from heat, and let it sit for ten minutes before opening the lid. Serve hot with raita.

(Recipe: Kunal Kapur, Chef)