Pakistani Lamb Biryani

Photo: Todd Coleman 1 cup canola oil 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp. garam masala 1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes 12 tsp. turmeric 1 black peppercorns ! pods green cardamom 3 pods black cardamom 2 2" cinnamon sticks # clo$es garlic, minced # tomatoes, cored and minced % serrano chiles, stemmed and minced 1 1 12" piece ginger, peeled and minced

2 lbs. trimmed lamb shoulder, cut into 2&3" pieces 'osher salt, to taste 12 cup plain yogurt 3( cup roughly chopped mint lea$es 1( cup roughly chopped cilantro () threads saffron, crushed *heaping 12 tsp.+ 2 12 cups white basmati rice, soaked in cold water for 3) minutes, drained 12 tsp. cumin seeds ( whole clo$es 2 dried bay lea$es ,ose water or kewra essence *optional+ ,ed-orange food color *optional+ 1. Heat 14 cup oil in a 5-qt. skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until dark bro n, !"#!5 $inutes. %rans&er to a bo l; set aside. !. Heat re$aining oil in a 5-qt. pot over high heat. Add gara$ $asala, chile &lakes, tur$eric, 1" peppercorns, 5 green carda$o$ pods, ! black carda$o$ pods, and 1 cinna$on stick; cook, stirring, until &ragrant, about 1 $inute. Add garlic, to$atoes, chiles, and ginger; cook, stirring, !#' $inutes. Add la$b, season ith salt, and cook until lightly bro ned, about 5 $inutes. (over, reduce heat to $ediu$; cook until la$b is tender, about 1 hour. Add &ried onions, yogurt, 1! cup $int, and ! tbsp. cilantro; cook, uncovered, &or 15 $inutes $ore. )et aside. '. *ut sa&&ron into a bo l and cover ith 1! cup hot ater; set aside. +ring 4 cups o& ater to a boil in a 5-qt. saucepan. Add re$aining peppercorns, green and black carda$o$, and cinna$on, along ith the rice, cu$in, cloves, and bay leaves, and season ith salt. (ook rice until al dente, 5#1" $inutes; drain rice and set aside. 4. %rans&er hal& the la$b curry to a 5-qt. pot. %op la$b ith hal& the rice. *our hal& the sa&&ron $i,ture onto rice along ith a &e drops o& rose ater and &ood coloring -i& using.; $i, into rice ith your &ingers. %op ith re$aining la$b curry and re$aining rice; dri//le ith re$aining sa&&ron; $i,. )tea$, covered, on lo heat until rice is tender, about 1" $inutes. 0arnish ith re$aining $int and cilantro. )1231) 4 This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #128