Begin with washing the mutton pieces and drain the excess water. Make sure you squeeze out the excess water and prick the meat using a fork, this will help in better absorption of the marinade.

Now, add all the marination ingredients in it. Rub well with your fingers so that the marination spreads evenly. Ideally, you should leave this meat in the refrigerator overnight. If you have sudden guests coming, then marinate and keep aside for 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, parboil the rice and keep aside after spreading on a plate. If you overcook your rice, it will turn sticky when mixed with the mutton. Dissolve the saffron in ¼ cup milk and set aside.

Slice the onions and fry them in the same ghee. Reserve half of the onions and keep aside. Remove the mutton from the refrigerator and allow it to come down to room temperature. This step is important for the proper cooking of the meat. Heat ghee in a deep bottomed vessel. It should have a tight-fitting lid. You can also use a pressure cooker with the whistle removed.

Once the ghee is sufficiently hot, add the whole spices-cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms and cumin. Allow them to splutter. Add whole red chillies and marinate the mutton pieces. Add the onions, ginger and garlic paste and cook covered till the mutton is tender.

Now add garam masala and roast the mutton till the entire water is absorbed and oil separates from it. Remove the mutton from the pan. In the same pan add a layer of cooked rice, followed by a layer of mutton and then again a layer of rice. Between each layer.

The topmost layer should be of rice. Now add the Kesar milk and cream. Pour this evenly over the rice. Cover the lid and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes. Remove from flame and garnish with onions, mint, kasoori methi, coriander and serve hot with raita.