Indian Dum Lamb Biryani

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Lamb biryani, famously known as gosht ki biryani or dum biryani, is flavored lamb cooked in layers with rice, golden onions, saffron, and clarified butter or ghee. Today, I will share a recipe so addictive that you will love to make biryani over and over again.

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Lamb Biryani is not an everyday dish. It’s one I make when I want to entertain or celebrate. Why? Simply because it got that feel of luxury. It’s rich and delicious and needs nothing to accompany it with.

Currently, in our home, we make biryani to celebrate. Ziv is Jewish and I am a Catholic, so we have more than the usual number of holidays to celebrate. For example, recently we celebrated Passover and Easter around the same time. So, while I made Gefilte Fish on Passover, we also celebrated Easter with this biryani.

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Why make this biryani?

• If you love Indian food then this is one recipe you definitely want to try.
• This biryani is a dum biryani from Hyderabad. That means we do not cook the meat separately and we only partially cook the rice to about 70%. The dish is assembled with marinated meat at the bottom of the pan, top with the partially cooked rice, and cook the two together. Yup!
• The recipe is easier than you think. I like to say you can make this chicken biryani in three easy steps.
  • Prep and marinate meat – 20 mins
  • Soak and partially cook the rice – 30 + 10 mins
  • Layer and cook – 20 + 20 mins

Ingredients and substitutes

• Basmati Rice – Of course, a biryani calls for Basmati rice. Basmati rice plays a huge part in contributing flavor. Nowadays, you will get Basmati rice in all grocery stores. It’s a staple in our home and I use it for all my rice dishes.
• Lamb – You want a cut that can be cooked fast and tender. I use lamb shoulder or leg. And, I cut the pieces fairly small not big chunks. That way the meat cooks soft and almost melts in the mouth.
• Onions – The quantity of onions in this dish is quite a lot. You can use brown onions, which have a slightly pungent flavor, but red onions are a sweeter variety. I like using half and half.
• Garam Masala  – If you do not have the whole spices for the rice, you can replace the whole spices with 1 tbsp of Garam Masala Spice Mix.
• Saffron  – is expensive and not easily available. So, if you don’t have saffron you can omit it or use food color. Restaurants will often use yellow and red food colors to give the biryani that extra color and make it more appetizing.

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Easy lamb biryani recipe

Marinate Lamb

• Place the lamb pieces in a marinade safe bowl. Season the meat with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the marinade spices, followed by the yogurt. Combine well. Cover and let marinate for three hours or overnight in the fridge.
  Pro tip – Always use a marinade safe bowl such as glass or plastic, not metal. Metals like aluminum can react with the acid in the recipe causing it to discolor food and give it a bad taste.

Prepare

• Saute Onions – In a saute pan add 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee, saute the sliced onions with a pinch of salt until caramelized and golden brown. The onions will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Set asideAlternatively, you can deep fry the onions in oil until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
• Herbs – Chop the herbs and divide them between the lamb and layers – set aside
• Saffron – Soak the saffron in the milk and let it steep for 10 minutes – set aside
• Rosewater – Have the rose water measured and ready to use. Set aside
• Spices – Tie the whole spices with a double knot in a cheesecloth. Set aside

Partially cook the rice

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins.
  Pro tip – soaking will ensure the rice cooks evenly. It also makes rice, fluffy, light, and airy.
• Simultaneously, place a large pot of water on the stove. Add the cheesecloth with spices. Let it simmer for 20 minutes – the color of the water will change because of the spices. After 20 minutes remove the muslin cloth.
• To the water, add salt, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp lemon juice – Add the rice, stir and let boil.
  Pro tip – the oil will keep the rice separated and the lemon juice will keep the rice white
• Cook rice for about 3 to 4 minutes until half cooked. (see rice test notes below). Drain and set aside.

Layer lamb and rice

• Add half the chopped herbs and half the caramelized onions to the lamb. Then, spread the lamb into a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven in an even layer.
  Pro tip – it is important that the meat is all in a single layer touching the bottom of the pan so it cooks evenly.
• Next spread half the rice over the lamb. Sprinkle the remaining herbs and onions over the rice. Drizzle half the saffron milk and rose water. Top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle with remaining saffron milk/or food color, ghee, and rose water.

Seal the pot and cook the biryani

• Cover the pot with a lid and make sure it is sealed well. You want all the stem to stay in.
  Pro tip – I use aluminum foil around the rim of the pan to ensure the dum (steam) stays in.
• Cook the Biryani
  • 15 minutes on medium-high – this will get the meat juices to be released,
  • then 15 minutes on medium – this will ensure the juices cook off without too much gravy,
  • and 15 minutes on low – this will ensure the lamb will not burn on the bottom.
• When the cooking time is done. Don’t open the pot just yet – let the residue heat and tenderize the lamb some more for 15 minutes
  Pro tip – by the aroma, you will know the lamb biryani is cooked. Don’t be tempted to open it immediately. This resting time will make sure the steam stays in giving you a moist juicy lamb biryani.

Tips for success

• Marinate the lamb for as long as you can but no more than 12 hours.
• Traditionally lamb with bones is used but you can use boneless too. 
• Saffron adds a nice flavor to the biryani but it is not an absolute must ingredient a biryani. 
• Biryani is made with long grain basmati rice, this can be easily found in most supermarkets these days or in Indian shops. You can buy basmati rice specially for biryani which is aged well and gives the biryani a wonderful aroma.
• The whole spices – A biryani is made with lots of whole spices. You don’t eat them of course. My kids don’t like biting into these so instead of adding them directly to the pot. I add the whole spices in a muslin cloth to the rice water, and in powder form in the marinade. That way, I have all the flavor but not the itty bitty spices mixed in the rice. But you can certainly add them in.
• Ghee – Traditionally, this dish is loaded with ghee. I do add but not as much. A good biryani is about good meat, good flavors, and good quality rice. Once you have those three taken care of, the lack of saturated fat does not seem all that bad.
• Deep-fried onions – Traditionally onions for biryani are known to be deep-fried and add a caramel taste. I still get the onions to caramelize but by slow cooking in little oil rather than deep frying. The slow-cooked golden onions in this dish add a wonderful taste and aroma. I think you will enjoy it. But, you can deep fry the onions and drain them on a paper towel.

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Frequently asked question

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