Ingredients

• 12 cashew nuts
• 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds (for the paste)
• 3 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• a handful fresh mint leaves
• a handful fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 tsp saffron, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds (for the rice)
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon, thin piece
• 3 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 lb lamb, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp biryani masala
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• to taste salt
• as needed oil, for frying

Equipment

• Wide heavy pan or Dutch oven
• Large pot for boiling rice
• Blender or spice grinder
• Colander or strainer
• Oven-safe lidded pot (if baking)

Instructions

1. Grind the cashews, poppy seeds, and 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds into a smooth paste with as little water as possible, so it stays thick and rich. Set it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions in batches (don't crowd them) until light golden brown, then drain on paper towels; they will crisp up as they cool into the fried onions you'll layer later. Fry a few cashews until golden too, and set aside.
3. Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak it in water for 20 minutes so the grains cook up long and separate.
4. In a wide pan over medium heat, add a little oil and saute some sliced onions until soft, then stir in the cashew paste, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, and whole garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until they soften and break down but aren't mushy, which builds the base flavor of the gravy.
6. Stir in the red chili powder, biryani masala, and half the mint and cilantro, cooking a minute so the spices bloom and lose any raw edge.
7. Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the yogurt (off-heat keeps it from curdling), then return it to the stove and mix until smooth.
8. Add the lamb, salt, and 1/2 cup water, mix well, then cover and simmer on medium-low for about 1 hour until the lamb is tender (or pressure cook for 6 whistles). If liquid remains, cook uncovered to reduce it to a thick gravy.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (about three times the volume of rice), add the drained rice, salt, and 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, and boil for exactly 7 minutes until the rice is 80 percent done, then drain immediately.
10. Level the lamb gravy in the pot, spread the hot drained rice evenly over the top, then scatter with fried onions, cilantro, mint, dots of ghee, and the saffron milk for color and aroma.
11. Cover tightly and bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or cook on the stove over medium for 12 minutes then lowest heat for 5 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and cooked through. Gently fold to mix and serve hot.