Lamb Biryani - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 large red onions, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 piece (1-inch) ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cardamom seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp oil
1 1/2 lbs lean leg or shoulder of lamb, cubed
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1 3/4 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained
None None Large pinch of saffron strands soaked in 3 tbsp hot milk
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
None None Raita and warmed naan bread, to serve

Preparation

Chop 1 of the onions. Process in a food processor with garlic, ginger, ground almonds, whole spices, cayenne, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 3 tbsp water. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a Dutch oven on high heat. Cook the lamb in batches until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion paste to the pan. Cook for 5 mins until soft. Return lamb and juices to pan.
Stir in the yogurt and 2/3 cup water. Season with a pinch of salt. Cover the pan; cook on low heat for 1 hr, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 300\u00b0F. Cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water for 8 mins. Drain. Spoon the rice evenly over the meat in the pan. Drizzle the saffron-infused milk over the rice. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover the pan tightly with foil; add the lid.
Bake for 1 hr until the rice and lamb are very tender. Thinly slice the remaining onion. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced onion; cook for 5 mins until softened and well browned. Add the raisins and sliced almonds . Cook, stirring, until the almonds are golden and the raisins have plumped up. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
Stir the biryani until the ingredients are evenly mixed; spoon onto a warmed platter. Garnish with the fried onion mixture. Serve with raita and naan bread.