Karachi-style Biryani Recipe

Karachi is famous for its delicious Biryani, which is a spicy rice dish cooked with meat or vegetables and a variety of aromatic spices. Here's a general recipe for making Karachi-style Biryani:

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Basmati rice
• 1 kg chicken or beef
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 6-8 green cardamom pods
• 6-8 cloves
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup fried onions
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• A handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves, chopped
• A pinch of yellow food color (optional)

Instructions:

1. Rinse the Basmati rice and soak it in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a pot, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and set aside for later.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, salt, and turmeric powder to the remaining fried onions in the pot. Stir well and cook for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the masala (spice mix) is fragrant.
4. Add the chicken or beef to the pot and cook until it is browned on all sides.
5. In a separate pan, dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaf until fragrant. Grind them into a fine powder using a spice grinder.
6. Add the ground spices to the pot with the chicken or beef, along with the yogurt. Mix well and let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the meat is tender and the gravy is thick.
7. In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil. Add the soaked rice and cook until it is 3/4th done. Drain the rice and set it aside.
8. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
9. In a large baking dish, spread a layer of rice at the bottom. Add a layer of the chicken or beef masala on top of the rice. Sprinkle some fried onions, green chilies, mint leaves, and coriander leaves on top. Repeat these layers until all the rice and masala is used up.
10. Drizzle a pinch of yellow food color on top of the last layer of rice (optional).
11. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
12. Serve hot with raita, salad, and chutney.

Note: This recipe is just a general guideline for making Karachi-style Biryani. Different households and restaurants may have their own variations and secret ingredients.