Cooking Delights: Kofta Biryani(Pakistani)

This is the recipe of chef Samina Jalil of Pakistan!
This biryani is made with koftas without using any bindings and it comes out very well!

Ingredients:
Keema or lamb minced meat-500 gms( the mince should have less fat,then only the koftas will be firm),
Rice -500 gms-Basmati,
Whole garam masala-few cloves,7 to 8 pepper corns,small cardamom-5,cinnamon stick-1 inch,shah jeera or black cumin seeds-1tsp.
Salt to taste,
Ingredients for koftas:
Keema or lamb minced meat-500 gms,
Onion-1-medium,
Salt-1 tsp,
Ginger garlic paste-1tbsp,
Red chilli pwd-1 tsp,
Garam masal-1/2 tsp,
Green chilli-1,
Coriander leaves-1 cup chopped,
Nutmeg pwd and mace pwd-1/2 tsp.

Ingredients for sauce-
Oil-1/2 cup,
Onion-1 sliced and then chopped,
Tomatoes-2-chopped,
Salt- to taste,
Red chilli-1 tsp,
Garlic ginger paste-1 tbsp,
Turmeric pwd-1/2 tsp,
One medium onion- chopped and grinded,
Curd beaten-3 tbsp,
Garam masala-1/2 tsp,
Mint leaves and green coriander leaves-1 cup-chopped,
Green chilli-2.

Topping-
Curd-1/2 cup+yellow food colour,mix and keep aside,
Saffron-2 pinch soaked in 4 tbsp of milk,
Ghee -4 tbsp.

Canola oil-4 tbsp for making koftas.
Water for boiling rice.

Note:Rice has to be 3/4 cooked.
Use mince with low fat content,as presence of fat will prevent making firm round balls.
There are no binding ingredients,so the real test are the koftas as they should not break while cooking.
Do not stir the mince balls once you put them in the pan.Leave it for 20 minutes without stirring.
Be careful with salt as you will adding 3 times in this recipe.
Salt is added when grinding the minced meat,then in the boiling water for rice and then during cooking of koftas!

Rice:
Wash and soak rice for 1/2 hour in a bowl.
Heat water in a deep pot or patila.

As water starts to warm up add whole garam masala,black jeera or shah jeera and salt.

Taste and add salt accordingly to the rice as it will cook in this water and make the rice salty enough for the biryani.

Once the rice is 3/4 cooked,strain the rice through a strainer and keep in a bowl.

Method for kofta:
Take a grinder,grind finely minced meat,one chopped onion,ginger garlic paste,green chilli,red chilli pwd,nutmeg,mace pwd and salt.

It is a little difficult to grind all the ingredients together in one go as the grinder will run with a heavy sound, so grind in 3 batches.

When all the mince is grounded, then combine all together and run the grinder for few minutes.

Take out and keep in the fridge for some time,while you make all the preparations.
It also gives time for the minced meat to marinate.
Take out,once all the ingredients are ready.

Keep little oil in a small bowl.
Grease your palm with oil.

Take small amount of minced meat and press with your fingers,transfering it to the other palm and pressing it again.This process to squeeze with both the palms has to be done a few times,then roll it into a round ball and keep in a plate.
Makes 20 balls.

Once the koftas are made,cover and put in the fridge.

Heat kadhai and put 1/2 cup oil.

As oil heats up,add the chopped onions.

Stir fry till they are light pink.
Add the tomatoes.

Add salt.

Let the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
Add ginger and garlic paste.

Stir fry for few minutes to remove the rawness of the garlic.

Add turmeric pwd, red chilli pwd and onion paste.

Add a little water and stir fry for a minute.
Lower the heat.

Place the koftas on the tomato gravy.

Spread 3 tbsp of beaten curd.

Cover and raise the heat.
Once you see the gravy boiling,then lower the heat and let it cook for 20 minutes.

After 15 minutes,just swirl the kadhai once.

Remove the lid after 20 minutes and then raise the heat.

With a flat spatula,gently turn the koftas.
Sprinkle garam masala pwd,nutmeg,mace pwd,mint leaves,coriander leavess,green chilli 3 or 4.

Cook till you see the sides leave oil.

Taste salt.
The koftas are 3/4 cooked.
Close gas.

Assemble:
Take a heavy bottom wide deep pot.
Put 1/2 cup of warm water and 2 tbsp of ghee.
Swirl the ghee and water around the bottom.

Spread half of basmati rice on it.

Layer the koftas on top of the rice.

Spread the yellow curd on the koftas and then spread the rest of the cooked rice on top.(had missed this step,then had to remove some rice and then poured the curd)