Pakistani Lamb Biryani - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup canola oil
3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
18 black peppercorns
9 green cardamom pods
3 pods black cardamom pods
4 inches cinnamon sticks
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 tomatoes, cored and minced
5 serrano chilies, stemmed and minced
1 1/2 inches piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 lbs trimmed lamb shoulder, cut into 2/3-inch pieces
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup roughly chopped mint leaf
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
40 saffron strands, crushed (heaping 1A 2 tsp.)
2 1/2 cups white basmati rice, soaked in cold
water, for 30 minutes drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
4 whole cloves
2 dried bay leaves
rose water (optional) or kewra essence (optional)
red food coloring (optional) or orange food coloring (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 5-qt. skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in a 5-qt. pot over high heat. Add garam masala, chile flakes, turmeric, 10 peppercorns, 5 green cardamom pods, 2 black cardamom pods, and 1 cinnamon stick; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic, tomatoes, chiles, and ginger; cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Add lamb, season with salt, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium; cook until lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Add fried onions, yogurt, 1/2 cup mint, and 2 tablespoons cilantro; cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes more. Set aside.
3. Put saffron into a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup hot water; set aside. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a 5-qt. saucepan. Add remaining peppercorns, green and black cardamom, and cinnamon, along with the rice, cumin, cloves, and bay leaves, and season with salt. Cook rice until al dente, 5-10 minutes; drain rice and set aside.
4. Transfer half the lamb curry to a 5-qt. pot. Top lamb with half the rice. Pour half the saffron mixture onto rice along with a few drops of rose water and food coloring (if using); mix into rice with your fingers. Top with remaining lamb curry and remaining rice; drizzle with remaining saffron; mix. Steam, covered, on low heat until rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining mint and cilantro.