Instructions

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Steps to Make It
Wash the rice, then soak it in warm water for 30 minutes. Cook the rice until almost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and set aside.


Put the minced meat, 2 of the chopped onions, 2 tbsps garlic paste, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 2 tbsp. garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves in a large bowl and mix well.


Form the mixture into equally sized balls and keep on a plate.


Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion in it until crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and set aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.


In the same oil, add the remaining (finely chopped) onions. Fry till they are light brown then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute. Add all the spices - coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric - and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and mix well. Fry the gravy until the oil begins to rise to the top.

Add 1 cup of warm water to the gravy and season with salt to taste. Gently add the meatballs now. Do not stir for at least the next 5 minutes.


Cook uncovered until the meatballs are done. There should not be more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups of gravy left at the end of this stage, so continue to reduce it as needed.

Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 tbsps of warm milk.

Take a large, deep ovenproof dish or dutch oven (it must have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and Koftas as follows: rice - Koftas - rice. End with a layer of rice.

Pour the saffron infused milk all over the top of the last layer of rice.

Garnish with the crispy fried onions and chopped coriander leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.

Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.