Meatball Biryani ( Kofta Biryani )

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 500 gms


For the Kofta:

Lamb or chicken mince - 1 kg
Onions - 3 (Large chopped very fine)
Garlic paste - 2 table spoon
Ginger paste - 1 table spoon
Garam masala - 2 table spoon
Tomato ketchup - 3 table spoon
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (chopped fine)
Salt to taste

For the Kofta curry:

Tomatoes - 4 (large, diced)
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 table spoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil - 5 table spoon
Garlic paste - 2 table spoon
Ginger paste - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste

For garnish:

Onion - 1 (large sliced finely)
Saffron strands - 1 table spoon
Milk - 3 table spoon (warm)
Coriander leaves - 3-4 table spoon (chopped)


Recipe

1. Wash the rice and soak in warm water for 20 minutes.
2. Cook the rice till almost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
3. Put the minced lamb/chicken, 2 of the chopped onions, 2 table spoon garlic paste, 1 table spoon ginger paste, 2 table spoon garam masala, tomato ketchup and coriander leaves and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Form the mixture into equal sized balls and keep on a plate.
5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion in it till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish biryani later.
6. In the same oil, add 1 onion (finely chopped). Fry till they are light brown then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute. 
7. Add all the spices - coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric - and fry for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.
9. Add 1 cup of warm water to the masala and season with salt to taste. 
10. Gently add the meatballs now. Do not stir for at least the next 5 minutes.
11. Stir gently so as not to break the meatballs.
12. Cook uncovered till the meatballs are done. There should not be more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups of gravy left at the end of this stage, so dry it as required.
13. Soak the saffron strands in 2-3 table spoon of warm milk.
14. Take a large, deep baking dish/ oven proof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and Koftas as follows: rice - Koftas - rice.
15. Spread the saffron infused milk over the top of the last layer of rice.
16. Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped coriander leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
17. Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
18. Serve hot with a raita and green salad of your choice.