Marinate Beef with all the ingredients including the Yoghurt except the whole spices. Add the chopped Coriander and Mint too. Do not forget to add the raw Papaya paste too along with the Lemon juice.
Keep enough water to boil for the rice. Soak rice only until the water starts boiling. That means, wash and soak Rice just as you keep water for cooking it. As soon as it starts boiling, add soaked Rice, whole spices, some chopped Mint and Coriander leaves to it. Also add a few Green Chillies.
Remember to boil it for about 20 minutes or just until it vigorously starts bubbling. The grains should be firm. Do not stir it hard. Otherwise they tend to break. Check if they can be easily crushed. This is the right time to switch off the heat. The rice needs to be about 90% cooked. Firm and not mushy. Drain the water and keep it aside.
Meanwhile deep fry the sliced onions. Spread them on a plate and after about 5 minutes, crush them with your hands and add to the marination. Also add the Oil in which they are fried after it cools down. Mix well.
Now comes the final part of slow cooking (called as dum). Layer the rice and meat as per your choice, only thing to taken care of is that the top most layer should be that of rice. Sprinkle some Saffron soaked milk on top. Add a generous dollop of ghee on top (optional) and cover it well either by an aluminium foil or a wet thick cotton cloth sealing the corners of the lid.
I always prefer an aluminium foil. For the first 15 minutes, keep it on a high heat, rotating the vessel every now and then. After 15 minutes, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Turn off the heat after the stipulated time and let the Biryani sit for sometime.
Serve hot with Burhani raita or plain curd and Baghare Baingan alongside. Mirchi ka Saalan is also a lovely combination that one can consider. Enjoy!
