Make a puree of chopped Onion, 1/4 cup Green Coriander, Green chilies, Fennel seeds, Safflower, Cinnamon powder, Black pepper and 1 Clove.
Preparing the meat balls. Mix the minced meat with the puree. Add 1 TBSP of ginger garlic paste. Mix well.
Add ½ tsp of turmeric powder and ¼ tsp red chili powder.
Add salt and cumin powder. Also add Besan and corn starch. Mix everything well.
Make the meat balls and steam them. Keep the stock aside.
In another pan, prepare the yakhni, add oil. Once the oil warms up, add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, shahi zeera and cinnamon stick.
Add the sliced onions and saute till they turn golden brown. Keep 2 TBSP aside to use for garnishing. Leave the rest in the pan.
Add the half of the mint leaves and coriander leaves. Add the Ginger garlic paste.
Add the remaining turmeric powder and Red chili powder.
Add the tomatoes and cook till its all mushy.
Add the yogurt and mix well. Let it all come to a boil.
Add the steamed koftas and let them cook for 5-7 minutes on medium flame. Add Salt.
Add the remaining mint leaves, green chilies and coriander leaves. Now, let the yakhni come to a boil. Let it simmer for another 10 mins. At the end there should be around 1 cup gravy left in the yakhni.
We will now start working on the rice. Drain the water in which rice is soaked. Add Ghee in a pan and the spices for the rice.
Spices for the Rice:
Safflower – 1 tsp, Bay leaf – 1, Cumin seeds – ½ tsp, Black cardamom – 2
After 2 minutes add the meat stock [water in which we steamed the koftas] and additional water. Altogether, its should be 10 cups of water. Add kewra water and 1 tsp of salt. Add handful of mint leaves as well.
Once it comes to a boil, add the rice. In a few minutes rice should start boiling, Give it 5-7 mins, check the rice, it should be two third done. It should be softer from the middle and hard from the sides. You could take a grain in hand and check it. Drain the water and keep the rice in a flat pan.
Time to assemble: A few tablespoons of oil from the yakhni at the bottom of the pan.
Add one third of the rice, followed by half of the yakhni and another one third of the rice. Again the remaining of the yakhni and covered by the remaining rice.
Preheat the oven to 350F. You can add few onion rings when you are layering the yakhni, though its optional. Garnish with fried onions and Kewra water with color. Cover with a tight lid and place in the oven for 40 mins.
Decorate with some silver leaf if you desire. Serve with cucumber tomato raita.
Enjoy!!!