Ingredients:

• 1 kg – mutton, cut in pieces
• 1/2 kg – Rice
• 1 onion, very thinly sliced and cooked until very brown
• To Flavor the Rice:
• 6 Cinnamon sticks
• 6 Cloves
• 6 Cardamoms
• 3 to 5 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp – shahjeera (black cumin seeds)
• 4 tsp – Lime juice
• Salt to taste
• To Color the Rice:
• 1 cup Milk
• Few Saffron strings
• 6-7 drops Orange food color
• 1 cup khoya (optional)
• To Flavor the Meat:
• 12 Almonds
• 12 Cashewnuts
• 2 tsp – Charoli or Poppy Seeds
• 3 tsp – desiccated Coconut
• 3 tsp – ginger-garlic paste
• Salt to taste
• For Mutton Curry:
• 1 tsp – Garam Masala powder
• 1 tsp – Red Chilli powder
• 2 tsp – coriander powder
• 1 tsp – cumin powder
• 4 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup – Yoghurt
• 4 Green chillies
• 1 bunch each (about 1 cup) mint/coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 4 boiled eggs
• 2 cups – oil
• 1 cup – Ghee

Method:

1. Boil rice with salt, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves and black cumin seeds.
2. Drain water when rice is two-third cooked.
3. Spread out the rice.
4. Add lime juice and keep aside.
5. Cut one onion finely and fry in some ghee until golden brown.
6. Keep aside for garnishing.
7. Mix khoya and orange colour and saffron strings in milk. Keep aside.
8. For Mutton Curry:
9. Grind to a paste almonds, cashew nuts, charoli and desiccated coconut.
10. Add ginger-garlic paste.
11. Heat some oil.
12. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and, when the oil splutters, add sliced onions.
13. Fry till golden.
14. Add above paste and fry for 2 mins. Add garam masala, red chilli, coriander, cumin and turmeric powders and salt.
15. Stir well. Add meat and fry until oil comes out.
16. Add yoghurt and pressure cook till meat is tender or cook until tender in a covered casserole for about 3 hours.
17. To Assemble:
18. Take a heavy-bottomed aluminium cooking pot and spread a little rice at the bottom. Pour a little of the saffron milk mixture over the rice flicking with a fork until some of the rice grains are coloured.
19. Add a layer of cooked mutton curry, sprinkle coriander and mint leaves and some fried onions.
20. Repeat this process until all the rice and meat is used up.
21. It should be 2 to 3 layers.
22. On the top most layer pour melted ghee or oil liberally and cover the pot tightly with a lid.
23. Secure the edges with foil so that steam does not escape.
24. Put it in the oven for 10 mins.
25. Garnish with almonds and crisp fried onions.
26. Serve with boiled eggs and yoghurt chutney.