Hyderabadi Biryani, Caramel Custard And Anaar Slush by Zarnak Sidhwa

Ingredients for Caramel Custard:

• Sugar 6 oz
• Water 1/2 cup
• Eggs  4
• Caster sugar 1 oz
• Vanilla essence  1 tsp
• Milk 2 cups

Method:

1. Put the sugar in a pan to form caramel and let it brown, when it is light brown add the water.
2. Immediately pour the caramel in a greased dish or individual 8 greased ramekins. Beat eggs and sugar and add the essence, heat milk and add to the egg mixture strain to remove any egg pieces.
3. Pour into remekins and put them to bake on a tray filled with enough water to come half way up the sides of the remekins.
4. Bake at 160 degrees C for 40 minutes, or till just about set and let cool.
5. Chill overnight and turn out onto individual plates and serve.

Ingredients for Hyderabadi Biryani:

• Mutton 500 grams
• Basamati rice 1-1/2 cups
• Salt 1 tsp
• Bay leaves 2
• Green cardamoms 10
• Black peppercorns 25-30
• Cinnamon 3 inch
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Oil to deep fry
• Onions 5 large
• Caraway seeds 1/2 tsp
• Cloves 10
• Ginger paste 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste 1 tbsp
• Red Chili powder 1 tbsp
• Yogurt 1 cup
• Coriander leaves 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves 2 tbsp
• Pure ghee 4 tbsp
• Black cardamoms 2
• Saffron essence a few drops

Method:

1. Heat five to six cups of water in a deep pan.
2. Add drained rice, salt, bay leaves, 5 green cardamom stick and cook till three fourth done.
3. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat sufficient oil in a pan and deep fry half the onion slices till golden.
5. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Grind caraway seeds, one cinnamon stick, remaining  black peppercorns, cloves and remaining green cardamoms to a fine powder and set aside.
6. Take mutton pieces in a bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and salt and mix.
7. Add the spice powder, red chili powder, half the fried onions crushed, yogurt, coriander leaves, half of the mint leaves and one tablespoon oil and mix.
8. Let it marinate for about two hours in the refrigerator.
9. Heat two tablespoons ghee in a  pan, remaining cinnamon and black cardamoms and saute till fragrant.
10. Add remaining onions and saute till light golden.
11. Add marinated mutton, stir and cook on high heat for three to four minutes. Cover, reduce heat and cook till almost done.
12. Heat the remaining ghee in a thick- bottomed pan.
13. Spread half the rice in a layer.
14. Spread the mutton over the rice.
15. Sprinkle remaining torn mint leaves.
16. Spread the remaining rice. Sprinkle saffron milk.
17. Cover  and cook under dum till done. Serve hot with a raita of your choice.

Ingredients for Anaar slush:

• Pomegranate 2 cups
• Ice, crushed 1 cup
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Caster sugar 2-3 tbsp
• Black pepper 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Blend the pomegranate till juice comes out and strain, discard the seeds and put the juice in a blender again and add salt, pepper, caster sugar, ice and blend till slushy and serve immediately.