This lamb biryani is a true celebration of aroma and flavour, featuring perfectly cooked, fluffy grains of fragrant basmati rice, soft potatoes, and tender chunks of lamb simmered in aromatic spices. My mother-in-law passed down this cherished recipe to me, and it has been in my husband’s family for generations. I love to make it, especially for festive occasions or simple weekend dinners, served with kachumber (a fresh salad) and raita (a spiced yogurt and cucumber mixture).
Biryani is all about layers of highly aromatic rice, tender meat, or vegetables, each adding its own texture and flavour. I find the layers in lamb biryani fascinating; they truly embody the spirit of community and togetherness. As my husband’s grandma always said, when the biryani is good, everything should be finished, enjoyed by hand and with a generous portion of fried onions.
For serving, it’s best to enjoy biryani straight from the pot, scooping out every flavorful layer. However, when hosting guests, I like to serve it on a large platter, topped with extra fried onions and fresh cilantro. Make this biryani for your next gathering or just for a family meal—you won’t regret it. It’s delicious and simply amazing.
Related: Spicy Punjabi Chole (Chickpeas)
ingredients
Lamb Mixture
Rice Mixture
Assembly
Raita
Kachumber (salad)
directions
For the Lamb Mixture: In a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger paste, garlic paste, and all the spices listed. Sautee until a thick paste forms.
Add ¼ cup fried onions, lamb, and prunes. Pour in water and cook until the lamb is soft and tender, you may have to keep on adding water until the lamb is fully cooked and soft. This will take about 1 hour on the stove or 20 minutes in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
In a separate pan, heat oil and fry the potato chunks until crisp and golden brown.
Add the fried potatoes and remaining ¼ cup fried onions, cook until the mixture thickens, this will take another 10 minutes.
Once the lamb mixture is cooked, let it cool slightly. Stir in yogurt until well combined. Set aside.
For the Rice: In another medium saucepan, bring a large amount of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaf, cumin, and rice. Parboil the rice until it’s halfway cooked, then drain off the excess water, leaving the spices in the rice
Assembly: In a round baking dish or an oven-safe pot, start layering the biryani. Begin with a layer of the parboiled rice mixture. Top with a little saffron water, followed by the meat mixture and fried onions. Repeat the layering process once more, ending with a final layer of rice on top, along with fried onions and saffron water.
Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil and cook in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes
For the Raita: While the biryani is cooking, prepare the raita. In a bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, cumin, black pepper and salt. Mix well and set aside.
For the Kachumber: In a bowl, combine finely sliced onions, tomatoes, chili, lime juice, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
Serve the biryani hot, accompanied by the raita and kachumber. Enjoy every bite, made with lots of love.
