Ingredients

1. Oil – 3/4 cup or less
2. Onions (medium, sliced) – 3
3. Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tbsp
4. Chilli powder – 3 tsp
5. Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
7. Green chillies – 7
8. Tomato (medium) – 2 to 3
9. Curd (thick) – 5 tbsp
10. Mint – 1 cup
11. Coriander leaves – 1 cup
12. Salt - as per taste
13. Rice – 2 cups
14. Mutton – 500 to 600 gms
15. Water – 4 1/2 to 5 cups
16. Ghee - 4 tbsp
17. Lemon (optional) – 1

Whole spices

18. Green cardamoms – 4
19. Star anise – 2
20. Kalpasi (also called dagad phool or black stone flower) – 1 tbsp
21. Cloves - 5
22. Marathi moggu – 2
23. Cinnamon stick (3 inch pieces) – 2

Method

1. Slice the onions, chop the tomatoes, slit the green chillies, chop mint and coriander leaves, and keep it aside.
2. Wash the rice, soak for 1/2hr and drain and keep it aside.
3. Heat the big wider vessel, add oil as per your requirement and add onion and all the whole spices, sauté till onions are golden brown.
4. Add ginger and garlic paste roast for 1min, add mint and coriander leaves roast for 2 to 3 min, and keep stirring.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté for 3min, add chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder, mix well and sauté for  1 to 2 min.
6. Add lamb or mutton, mix well, cook for 5 to 8 min, without burning the spices , keep stirring.
7. Add curd mix immediately, by simmering the flame while adding and then 3 cups water mix well.
8. Add the green chillies and cook till the meat is cooked well by closing the lid, in between stir the meat.
9. When the meat curry is ready and meat is cooked well, simmer the flame for 10min, as it will starts leaving the oil.
10. Add the rice in the curry, mix well and add water as required, as it depends how much curry(gravy) is left after cooking (I added 2 cups water as per the requirement).
11. Cook the rice till all the liquid is absorbed and you can see the holes in the rice and still liquid is there, then simmer the flame and close the lid by first putting aluminium foil on top close it no steam should escape and then with the lid tightly for 20 to 25 min or till the rice is cooked.
12. Switch of and let it rest.
13. Serve the biryani with brinjal pacchadi or dalcha and onion pachadi.

Notes

1. While cooking the rice add water as required(Seeraga samba rice and basmati rice requires water as per their cooking), in between if the rice is not cooked and still water needed add hot water, mix and cook.
2. You can cook the rice with salt, sufficient water in other vessel 90%, just cooked, but still 10minutes more cooking is needed, add the drained rice to the curry and give dum for 15 to 20min.
3. While simmering when the rice is cooked, just press the rice and see, as you will know how much time it will take to simmer 15min or 25min.
4. You can reduce the chillies as per your taste.