recipes

INGREDIENTS

300ml plain yoghurt
1 thumb's length of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely sliced
125ml (1/2 cup) chopped dhania leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tsp ground jeera (cumin)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 heaped Tbs masala (curry mix of your choice)
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 kg mutton, cut into pieces
15ml (1 Tbs) ghee or butter
1 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6 cardamom pods, cut open and their seeds removed (use the seeds, Daisy)
2 bay leaves
2 sticks cinnamon or cassia
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
60ml (4 Tbs) boiling hot water
2 tsp salt, or more (to taste)
1 large onion, halved and then sliced thinly, and some butter or ghee to fry

2 cups (500ml) cooked basmati rice
250 ml (1 cup) rice water
A pinch of saffron for the rice

INSTRUCTIONS
First pour the yoghurt into a large bowl and add the ginger, chilli, chopped dhania (coriander) leaves, ground cumin, chilli powder, masala and ground turmeric. Add a little salt to taste and mix well, then put in the mutton pieces and coat the meat well. Leave aside for an hour or more to marinate.There's nothing to stop you having done this hours earlier for longer marination.

Make the rice and keep aside, adding a pinch of saffron or turmeric to the water (if you have not already done so). Retain a cup (250ml) of the rice water.

Melt the ghee and add the whole jeera, cardamom and mustard seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. When the seeds start to crackle, add the chopped onions and garlic, and saute until the onions are soft. Add the meat, including the yoghurt marinade, and braise for a few minutes. Add about 60ml (4 Tbs) boiling water. Season to taste with salt. Cook this on a low heat for about 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and add a layer of parboiled potatoes (if using), then top that with a layer of rice. Fry the remaining sliced onion in ghee or butter until golden brown, and sprinkle over the rice. Pour the rice water over the top, carefully, cover and simmer for as long as it takes for the mutton to become tender, which could take up to two hours. It must be on a low heat so that it does not catch at the bottom. If it appears to be drying out, add a little more boiled water, but not too
much.