Raghavan Iyer's Lamb Biryani from 660 Curries

Recently, the local Persian grocery store butcher has been stocking the meat case with lamb shank (or what we think is lamb shank - speaking in English is iffy and we don't speak enough Dutch to converse adequately).  Given that lamb is pretty expensive or not stocked at other butchers or the standard grocery store, we've been taking advantage of their supply as much as possible.  I often use lamb in a Persian soup which serves as our lunch, but this week I decided to also explore the lamb curries of Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries.  While this isn't a 'curry' as many people understand curry, it's a wonderful mix of meat, herbs, spices, rice, and sometimes nuts and raisins. According to Raghavan, this biryani is originates from Hyderabad and is called 'kacchi biryani' where 'kacchi' is uncooked lamb (which is later layered with cooked rice and then baked).  

I've previously made chicken biryani's (although I realize I've never posted about them on this blog!), but this is a different twist with a completely different flavor from the meat.  

Ingredients: 

For the Lamb Marinade:

• ~ 1 lb (I used 10 oz) lamb of leg, cut from the bone (if not already available this way), fat trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup of plain yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt, but otherwise use full fat yogurt)
• 1/2 cup of firmly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of firmly packed cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1-2 Thai chilies (original recipe calls for Kashmiri chilies, which I have replaced with Thai chilies)
• 1.5 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala (I used a pre-made mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric

For the rice: 

• 1 cup of white/brown basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (original recipe calls for Ghee or unsalted butter)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 2 free or dried bay leaves (I used dried)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Others: 

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (original recipe calls for Ghee or unsalted butter)
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped mint for garnish

Directions: 

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F (~175C).

1. Marinate the lamb (min 3 hours, overnight if possible): Combine the lamb, yogurt, mint, cilantro, ginger, garlic, chilies, salt, garam masala, and turmeric in a bowl and toss/stir to completely coat the lamb.  Refrigerate, covered overnight (or at least 3 hours before cooking). 
2. Soak the rice (min 1 hour, longer for brown rice): Depending upon if you are using white or brown rice, before you are ready to start assembling the biryani, prepare the rice:  Rinse the rice until the water runs clear (first two rinses will be cloudy).  Fill the bowl half way with cold water and let it sit at room temperature until the grains soften.  One hour is sufficient for white rice.  I soaked for 3 hours for brown rice (note, I did not experiment with the time - seek advice on the back of your packaging for advice or elsewhere). 
3. Cook the rice: 
1. Heat coconut oil/ghee/unsalted butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat.  Add cumin seeds, cardamom pods, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.  Cook until they sizzle, about 3 to 5 minutes (note, original recipe calls for 15 to 20 minutes, but on medium-high heat, this doesn't take long for me... if I let them go longer, the cumin seeds will burn).  Then immediately add the onion and stir-fry until the onion is light brown around the edges, about 10 minutes (note, original recipe calls for 3 to 5 minutes, for browning on the edges, I think it needs longer).  
2. Stir in the saffron and allow the mixture to release its fragrance.  Add the drained rice and toss gently to coat the grains with the mixture.  Pour 1 cup of cold water, add the salt, and stir the rice to incorporate the ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the water has just evaporated and remove from the heat.  For brown rice, consider adding another 1/2 cup of water as this type takes longer to cook through.  
4. Assemble the Biryani and Bake: 
1. Lightly spray the interior of a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray or coat with melted ghee/butter/coconut oil.  
2. Spread the lamb (including any remaining marinade) across the bottom and drizzle melted ghee/coconut oil/butter.  
3. Add the rice mixture, spreading evenly over the lamb. 
4. Cover the casserole dish and bake until the rice is cooked through and the lamb is fork-tender (approximately 1 hour).  
5. Serve: Garnish with finely chopped mint and serve.  Note, there are whole spices in this dish, so be careful to eat around these.  

What biryani's have you made?  Have you ever baked one (this was my first baked biryani)?  Any cooking tips?