On the heat. Hot

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg mutton curry pieces, bone in
• 700 g basmati, soaked 30 min
• — MARINADE
• 500 g yoghurt · 3 tbsp ginger–garlic
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli · 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric · juice of 2 lemons
• 5 onions, deep-fried crisp — half crushed in
• Mint and coriander, large handfuls · 3 tsp salt
• — TO LAYER
• 100 g ghee · saffron in 100 ml warm milk · 2 tbsp kewra
• Whole spices for the rice water

Method

1. Marinate the mutton for 6 hours minimum, overnight ideally. It is the only tenderising this meat gets.
2. Boil the rice in heavily salted water with whole spices to 60% done — less than for a Durban breyani, because the meat below needs longer. Drain at once.
3. Marinated meat into the bottom of a heavy pot in an even layer. Rice over it. Do not press it down.
4. Remaining fried onions, herbs, ghee, saffron milk and kewra over the top.
5. Seal the lid with a dough rope. High heat 8 minutes, then the lowest possible heat for 90 minutes, on a heat diffuser or an upturned tawa.
6. Rest sealed for 20 minutes. Break the seal at the table. Serve with mirchi ka salan and a plain raita.

Cook's note. Kacchi is the hard one. If you are nervous, brown the marinated meat for 20 minutes first (pakki style) and reduce the dum to 45 minutes. It is a different dish, and a very good one.

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