• 1 kg Mutton
• 4 medium onions
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 20 green chilies
• 4" piece ginger
• 8 big cloves of garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3/4th cup thick plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• ½ bunch mint leaves
• ½ bunch coriander leaves
• A handful of curry leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ cup ghee
• Handful cashew nuts
• A handful raisins

For the rice:

• 4 cups Basmati rice
• 4 sticks Cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 4 cardamoms
• 1 Bay leaf
• Salt - to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

For the Biryani masala:

• 2" piece cinnamon
• 8 cardamoms
• 8 cloves
• 1 nutmeg
• 1 Bay leaf
• 6 Mace
• 1 tablespoon Caraway seeds
• 1 Star anise

Dry roast all together and grind to a fine powder.

1. Clean the mutton and cut into medium sized pieces. Wash and drain.

2. Soak the fennel seeds and poppy seeds in a bowl with water for an hour at least and grind with very little water to a very fine paste. If it still feels grainy, add a tablespoon of grated coconut to grind it well. Keep aside.

3. Grind together the ginger, garlic and green chilies into a coarse paste. Chop the tomatoes into cubes and slice the onions. One onion should be sliced extra fine. This one is for the fried onion garnish.

4. Marinate the mutton with the ginger garlic chili, and all the other spices and ingredients except the onions, biryani masala and herb leaves. Add salt too and keep covered for an hour at least. Clean and soak rice for 10 minutes. Keep aside.