keema biryani

Fragrant and spicy minced lamb with the flavor of basmati rice cooked together in dum to make this fabulous dish called keema biryani. This is one of my favorite biryani, try this and you will too fall in love with it.

Keema Biryani

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice: 250gm
Minced Lamb (Keema): 300 grams
Onion (sliced): 1 large
Cinnamon stick: 1″ piece
Black Cardamom: 3
Cloves: 4-5
Green Cardamom: 3-4
Black pepper: 3-4
Bay leaf: 1-2
A few strands of Saffron
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1tsp
Nutmeg powder: 1tsp
Whipped Yogurt : 3 tbsp
Ginger – Garlic Paste: 1tbsp
Milk (warm): ¼ cup
Rose water and keora water: few drops
Clarified butter (ghee) or cooking oil: 100gm
Salt to taste

Method to Prepare:
Wash the rice thoroughly with few changes of water and soak it for at least 30 minutes. Cook the rice with one teaspoon of salt and three black cardamoms until it is just half done. Drain out the water and set aside.

Meanwhile mix the saffron in warm milk and set aside.

Flavouring the minced meat or keema: Heat the clarified butter or ghee in a skillet or deep pan; add the sliced onions and fry until it is translucent. Add the bay leaf and whole spices and allow spluttering.

Mix in the minced meat, ginger-garlic paste and fry for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Once the lamb is fried to golden brown in color and leaves its aroma, mix in the whipped yogurt along with the red chilli powder and cumin powder; continue to cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and set aside.

Setting for biryani: Prepare a bed of rice in dekchi or any heavy bottom pan with half of the cooked rice. Spread the cooked keema or minced meat over the rice along with the saffron milk, a few drops of keora and rose-water and sprinkle the nutmeg powder over it. Cover it with the rest of the rice.

Cook it in dum on slow heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve the hot keema biryani with your choice of accompaniments.

Sharing this spicy and fragrant keema biryani with the iftaar event @ Hyderabadi cuisine.